Welcome to Urgent Fury

Hi everyone, I’m excited to share how we’ve enhanced Directive 8020 for PlayStation 5 Pro, and how these upgrades help deepen the tension, clarity, and emotional impact at the heart of the game. Play Video From the very beginning, Directive 8020 was built around cinematic storytelling, player choice, and atmosphere you can feel onboard the deadly mission to Tau Ceti f. Hunted by an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey, the crew of the Cassiopeia must outwit their pursuers to make it home alive. Sharper visuals powered by PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution One of the most noticeable enhancements comes from PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), Sony’s AI-driven upscaling technology. PSSR intelligently enhances image detail and clarity frame by frame, allowing environments, character models, and subtle environmental storytelling to appear crisp and well-defined. The metallic corridors of the Cassiopeia, the frost forming across a freezing medical lab, the distortion in a reflective visor, all of these details benefit from the added sharpness. Discover cinematic fidelity with PlayStation 5 Pro Directive 8020 is a cinematic narrative experience at its core. With the additional rendering power available, we’re able to present scenes with enhanced visual fidelity that supports the emotional weight of each moment. Character performances, subtle facial animations, and environmental detail all contribute to immersion. When you’re trying to decide who to trust, especially when two identical faces are staring back at you, those visual nuances matter. Face your fears with advanced ray tracing Lighting is one of the most powerful storytelling tools in horror. With advanced ray tracing, light behaves more realistically, bouncing naturally through corridors, reflecting off metallic surfaces, and casting shadows that feel grounded in physical space. Emergency strobes flare against bulkheads. Firelight flickers dynamically across a character’s face. Ice refracts light in a way that feels cold and unforgiving. Realistic lighting heightens tension in every corridor. You’re never quite sure what’s hiding just beyond the glow. Dynamic shadows reveal, and conceal, the threat Shadows aren’t just visual dressing in Directive 8020. They’re part of the language of fear. Dynamic shadow detail adds depth and movement to scenes, making environments feel less static and more unpredictable. A shifting silhouette might be nothing… or it might be an alien hunter watching. The added richness in shadow rendering enhances atmosphere in subtle but powerful ways, reinforcing the unease that runs through the entire experience. Smooth performance where every decision counts Performance isn’t just about numbers on a spec sheet, it’s about emotional timing. Directive 8020 is built around split-second decisions that permanently shape your story. When Anders is freezing in a failing medical lab and Mitchel is trapped in an inferno elsewhere on the ship, you don’t have time to deliberate forever. Your instinct takes over. Or when you’re faced with two identical versions of the same crew member, both claiming to be real, who do you trust? Smooth, consistent performance ensures those moments land exactly as intended. Inputs feel immediate. Camera movement remains fluid. Cinematic transitions hold their impact. The tension builds naturally, without technical friction pulling you out of it. In a choice-driven narrative game, responsiveness is part of storytelling. Designed with PlayStation 5 in mind Beyond visual enhancements, Directive 8020 was designed to make full use of PlayStation 5 features, particularly the DualSense controller. Especially due to the Supermassive legacy from Until Dawn in those tense “Don’t Move” moments from the PlayStation 3. We wanted interactions to feel instinctive in Directive 8020: You’ll instinctively reach for your flashlight in a pitch-black corridor. You’ll scan a room before entering a hatch. You’ll grab the wedge tool at the last possible second. All without taking your eyes off the danger around you. Haptic feedback puts the fear in your hands during choices and while using tools. The DualSense’s audio output crackles as a way for distant characters to communicate to you from across the vast ship through the messenger tool. Our goal was simple: make the controller your tool for survival and fully immerse you in the world, to keep you on the edge of your seat. Step aboard We’re incredibly proud of how Directive 8020 plays and feels on PlayStation 5 Pro. The enhancements refine the cinematic presentation, elevate lighting and shadow detail, and ensure smooth performance in the moments that matter most. If you’re ready to confront what’s waiting in the dark abyss of space, you can pre-order now on PlayStation 5 before Directive 8020 launches May 12. We can’t wait for you to board the Cassiopeia and face the choices that define your story. View the full article

PlayStation Store’s Spring Sale begins tomorrow, Wednesday, March 25. For a limited time* you can enjoy deep discounts of up to 75% on a vast range of games that include iconic blockbusters, acclaimed classics, and more. *PlayStation Store Spring Sale promotion runs from Wednesday, March 25 at 00:00 AM PDT/BST/JST and finishes Wednesday April 22 at 11:59 PM PDT/BST/JST**. Each title may have different sale periods. Please refer to the information in the title details page. **The promotion’s start and finish time may differ in certain regions. Game selection may differ by region. View the full article

I’m Jesse Passoja from Korpi Games, lead designer on Virtual Hunter. Virtual reality is a lightning rod for all the things that make simulation games like ours click with the genre’s audience: Slower-paced, highly immersive experiences with a great range of freedom. However, the hunting genre was almost completely missing from VR when we started working on Virtual Hunter. Play Video We put all of our passion and knowledge from the past decades into the design to deliver the best game in the genre, and I’m honored to be able to give the PlayStation community some insight into what to expect when Virtual Hunter launches for PlayStation VR2 on May 27. I’ll also include some insight from Jaakko Asikainen, CTO over at VRKiwi, with whom we have the pleasure of working with as we deliver the game for this community. The PS VR2 version has been requested for years and, with his team, we gathered feedback from players so we could make the best use of things like the adaptive triggers, foveated rendering, and headset haptics while delivering the best port we can. Building the hunt from the ground up We focused on delivering a hunting experience in VR that players have wanted and more with Virtual Hunter. From realistic hunting mechanics and true-to-life weapon ballistics all the way to the massive open-world with day/night cycle and dynamic weather filled with animals meticulously designed to mimic their real-life counterparts. Core to the impact of these different systems intersecting and complementing each other is total player freedom in how they want to approach a hunt. Do you want to climb on a stand early in the morning and scan the tree line as you go? Or do you want to take a relaxing hike to the top of the mountain you spotted on the horizon? It is all up to the player and, since there’s a fresh spawn of animals, each hunt will be different. You’ll never know when the trophy of a lifetime shows up. That freedom extends to accessibility as well. Players can approach at their own pace with three different difficulty options, which affect animal senses and rewards. They’re easier to approach in Casual mode, and in Realistic, they are highly aware of their surroundings but yield higher monetary rewards. We also have a feature that gives you space to reflect and admire the progress you make on your many hunts: the trophy lodge. With our best-in-the-genre trophy mount system, players can freely place their favorite trophies around the lodge. There are several mount types available, varying from full body mounts to hanging ceiling mounts for pheasants, and players can add, change, and move them however they want. Outside the lodge, you can find a shooting range and a 3D archery course where you can master your shooting skills. The trophy lodge brings a narrative layer unique to each player, serving as a blank canvas for players to paint their virtual hunting story, one trophy at a time. PS VR2 takes it to the next level Virtual Hunter includes specific settings that are crucial to players shaping their VR experience. There’s a dedicated seated mode, a variety of settings for weapon handling, and more. Further, coming to PS VR2 gives us a selection of options we didn’t have in the original version of Virtual Hunter that we’re excited to take advantage of. “PS VR2’s specific features are always exciting to work with. They’re fairly easy to implement but with great payoffs for players,” says Asikainen. “For example, we use the headset haptics to simulate branches and leaves going by your head while in the brush.” ”The main show, however, is the adaptive triggers, and we aimed for ultimate realism with them,” he continues. “It helps when there are lots of hunters and other hobbyists in the fan base who can give us feedback on things like the resistances we applied to the triggers for the different guns.” The bows in the game are draw-and-release, so they are very straightforward when pulling the triggers. The revolver, however, has a realistic double-action where a partial pull cocks the weapon and pulling further fires it. “All in all, the adaptive trigger feature is a must-have for any developer trying to do some kind of weapon simulation,” Asikainen concludes. A trophy worth the wait Virtual Hunter is a technical and design feat that was challenging to accomplish with a small team and limited resources. It took a lot of time, research, and mistakes to succeed and we’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished. When the PS VR2 community gets their hands on Virtual Hunter, we want them to feel the thrill when they spot the first animal and successfully harvest it. It’s not always about the trophy, but the experience of the hunt as well. There is a lot to explore, new skills to master, and personal goals to achieve. Patience is a skill in immersive simulation experiences, and getting your first trophy is a feeling that will make it all worth it. We’re always open to hearing about our players’ experiences, so don’t hesitate to reach out with feedback or questions. Happy hunting! Virtual Hunter launches May 27 for PS VR2. View the full article

Arc System Works and Executive Director Daisuke Ishiwatari are known for fighting games, and their upcoming game, Damon and Baby, is a huge shift. It’s an action-adventure game that’s defined by an overhead viewpoint, twin-stick shooter mechanics, a lighthearted, cartoonish art style, and a wry, satirical wit — a departure from series like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue. Damon and Baby is an expansive game that packs a surprising amount of depth and challenge. I recently played through the first 10 hours of Damon and Baby ahead of its release to get a first-hand feel for its blend of action mechanics and comedy stylings. You take on the role of Damon, a demon with aspirations for greatness, who has what turns out to be an unfortunate friendship with a priest. At the start of the tale, the priest shows up mortally wounded and entrusts Damon with a baby. Little does Damon know that, through supernatural shenanigans, the two have become inseparable, and if Damon wanders too far away from the baby, he’s instantly teleported back to her. Stuck with putting his demonic plans on hold to care for a cute child, Damon sets out to find a way to separate himself from the baby. But he quickly discovers that while he wants to get rid of the kid, there are demonic forces, led by Death, who will do anything to claim her. And while Damon is a curmudgeonly demon, it turns out he has a heart of gold, so he grabs some guns and sets about fighting through hordes of supernatural enemies. Fast, furious twin-stick combat And you will fight a lot of enemies in Damon and Baby, using a close-range melee strike and four different types of weapons: pistols, shotguns, machine guns, and rocket launchers. Each of the gun archetypes comes in all sorts of variations, sporting different stats and nuanced capabilities. Some guns might add additional bullets to their spread, pierce through enemies, or fire in powerful, short bursts rather than continuously. Each weapon is good for specific situations, encouraging you to change them up often as you fight all kinds of enemies. From easily-defeated knife-wielding spirits, to giant, flying, shield-wielding fiends, there’s a huge number of threats to deal with and you’ll have to constantly shift strategies in order to stay alive. Toss that baby! Damon and Baby gives you a few interesting tools to help you, as well. Before long, Damon realizes he can use that whole baby curse thing to his advantage, giving you the ability to throw the baby, which causes Damon to teleport to wherever she is and catch her. That move allows you to cover big gaps that you couldn’t normally jump over, and it serves as your primary dodge to escape enemy attacks. You’ll need to use that baby throw ability a lot, because enemies hit hard. While Damon and Baby might look cartoonish on the surface, it packs some serious challenges. Even normal enemies can be huge and powerful, but the bosses take things up a notch — like a giant, katana-wielding wolf dressed like he belongs in Kill Bill, or a moth who uses a massive sniper rifle against you in a grocery store. They’ll clobber you if you’re not on your game. Throwing the baby is also just one of the many abilities that help you explore its sprawling areas. As Damon earns a double-jump and wall jump, and “ultimate” abilities that let him do things like smash through certain kinds of objects, you can revisit earlier areas to discover secrets and power-ups, or earn money for buying new weapons. Damon and Baby’s levels are huge, and offer almost as many nooks and crannies to check as demons to shoot. Heaven and Hell have bureaucrats, too The thing I liked most in my preview of the game, though, was Damon and Baby’s comedic sensibility. It’s set in a world where demons, angels, and monsters are old hat for normal folks, and dealing with Heaven and Hell is mostly a bureaucratic annoyance, and it’s a paperwork snafu that costs Damon his powers at the start of the game. Damon’s ultimate goal is to get to Sedona — as in, Arizona — and he’s helped out by a demonic insurance agent, a vampire mafioso who transforms into a bat to help you in combat, and an angelic cook, among other weirdos. It’s a game that imagines a goofy supernatural world that’s full of spirits and creatures trying to help you save the world, but who still have to work within a society full of mundane tasks and arbitrary rules. The absurdity leads to a lot of good jokes, especially as Damon complains his way through the journey. You’ll get a chance to explore the enormous, ridiculous world of Damon and Baby when it launches on PS5 and PS4 on March 26. View the full article

Hello everyone, I’m Takeshi Yamanaka, Producer of MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Earlier today at the Arc World Tour 2025–2026 Finals in Korea, we revealed the second team to appear in the game: the Amazing Guardians. If you haven’t seen the latest Team Reveal Trailer yet, be sure to check it out below. Play Video A new team takes the stage: The Amazing Guardians View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image The Amazing Guardians are a team made up of heroes from a new generation. Leading the group is your friendly-neighborhood Spider-Man (voiced by Josh Keaton), who answers the call with both great power and great responsibility. He’s joined by the up-and-coming Ms. Marvel (voiced by Dalia Rooni), the profit-seeking space pirate Star-Lord (voiced by Scott Porter), and the interdimensional gadget whiz Peni Parker (voiced by Risa Mei). How did these four heroes come together? How will they face an overwhelming threat? Can they work as a team despite their differences? You’ll find out in Episode Mode, where their story unfolds! New playable character: Peni Parker View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image One of the newly announced characters is Peni Parker. A Japanese-American student, Peni is a brilliant (and maybe a little eccentric) young scientist. She pilots SP//dr, a powerful mech suit created by her father, and fights as the spider hero of a parallel universe. In MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls, Peni brings SP//dr into battle, using a wide range of gadgets and unique tools to improvise strategies on the fly. Though she grew up in the United States, Peni occasionally slips into speaking Japanese. Keep an ear out for how this detail is brought to life across different language voiceovers. Our Master of Ceremonies appears: The Promoter View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image The trailer also introduces a mysterious new figure known as the Promoter (voiced by Sabrina Fest). Her true name is Xirena Awhina, and she’s an Elder of the Universe — an ancient alien race that has existed across the cosmos since time immemorial. True to her title, Xirena travels the galaxy organizing entertainment on a supernova scale. The Promoter invites our heroes to a high-stakes tournament that will determine the fate of planet Earth. How will our heroes, and villains, rise to the challenge? And is the Promoter acting alone? Stay tuned… more will be revealed soon. New feature: Automatic Team Name Generation View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image We know players love building their own four-character dream teams—and giving them a name to match. Starting with the latest build, we’ve added a fun new feature: Automatic Team Name Generation. (No, we didn’t patent it!) Based on your selected characters, the game automatically creates a team name that references Marvel lore. The name appears on screen and is even announced by a ring announcer. Try out different combinations to discover cool, surprising, or just plain fun team names. Improvements based on the Closed Beta tests feedback Based on feedback from our two Closed Beta tests last year, we’ve made a number of refinements and improvements to the game. Watch this video for an overview of the latest gameplay changes. Detailed patch notes are available on the Discord Server. To everyone who played the demo and shared their thoughts—thank you! Our development team is continuing to fine-tune the experience right up until launch. Play the latest demo at EVO Japan 2026 Next, we’ll be bringing the latest hands-on demo to EVO Japan 2026, taking place in Tokyo from 1- 3 May. This build will feature Peni Parker as a playable character, along with the Knowhere battle stage, which is closely tied to the Amazing Guardians team, bringing the total of playable characters to 12 and 4 stages to choose from at EVO Japan. If you’re attending EVO Japan, we’d love for you to stop by and give it a try. See you at EVO Japan 2026! View the full article