Welcome to Urgent Fury

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here Hey, everybody! Sid, Kristen, and I are back this week to discuss min/maxing runs in Saros, the music and vibes of Mixtape, and other games that’ve been keeping us busy. We also have a special interview about Ghost of Yōtei Legends endgame raids with Sucker Punch Lead Designer Darren Bridges. Stuff We Talked About Next week’s release highlights: Darksiders: Warmastered Edition | PS5 R-Type Dimensions III | PS5 Coffee Talk Tokyo | PS5 Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks | PS5 Bubsy 4D | PS5 LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight | PS5 Scuf Omega PS5 controller — Check out the new officially licensed performance controller from Scuf. It features 28 inputs and numerous customization options to cater to a wide variety of gaming preferences. Saros “Finding Carcosa” dev diary — Peek behind the curtain of the third-person sci-fi shooter and see how Housemarque brought protagonist Arjun to life. Spoiler: It’s a mix of performance tech and a bad experience with LA traffic jams. PlayStation Plus May Game Catalog PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium Star Wars Outlaws | PS5 Red Dead Redemption 2 | PS4 Bramble: The Mountain King | PS5, PS4 The Thaumaturge | PS5 Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn | PS5 Broken Sword – Shadows of the Templar: Reforged | PS5, PS4 Enotria: The Last Song Standard Edition | PS5 PlayStation Plus Premium Time Crisis | PS5, PS4 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 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 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 share your goal-winning moments from EA Sports FC 26, available to all PlayStation Plus members* as part of the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup for May. Here are this week’s highlightings: Photomode_Raro shares the ball being kicked up and close to the foreground. call_me_xavii shares a goalie holding the ball outside the goal. fsantos1697 shares a view of the crowd at the stadium. lucaslu_ckli shares a goalie reacting in disbelief at a goal, while the opposing player runs off 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: Hands SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on May 20, 2026 Next week, put ‘em up! Share moments focusing on characters using their hands in the game of your choice. Use #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. *PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day for more information. View the full article

Launched last month, the Ghost of Yōtei Legends Raid forms the endgame of Sucker Punch’s multiplayer mode, as Ghosts face off against the last two of the supernatural Yōtei Six, The Dragon and Lord Saito. Well, them, plus a horde of warriors and labyrinth strongholds that four players must cooperate together to survive. With enough time now passed, we sat back down with Lead Designer Darren Bridges to delve into the creative processes behind the Raid. Spoilers follow, so if you’ve yet to level up and tackle the Raid, then bookmark this article until you’ve returned to the lobby flush with success. The full interview will be available to listen to later today on the Official PlayStation Podcast. Play Video “One of our original thoughts was: it’s like an escape room where people are trying to kill you.” The Raid’s elevator pitch “One of our original thoughts was: it’s like an escape room where people are trying to kill you. It’s four player, hardcore, challenging content. And there are puzzles that you need to work together as a team to complete. And, of course, there are enemies who are also trying to kill you, so it often will involve a lot of learning, coordinating, and performing as a team in order to succeed.” Learnings from Ghost of Tsushima Legends and its Raid “[Ghost of Tsushima Legends] was the first time we’d done anything like that as a studio. It had a lot of successes. It brought that level of challenge and learning and team coordination requirements. But it was also kind of unbalanced in the pacing and the length of it. A lot of players weren’t able to play it. The first time I played the second chapter of the Raid with my friends, I think it took six hours. So you had to have a group of four who were committed and could set out that amount of time. So it was epic, but it was also kind of inaccessible in that way. You know that you’re serving multiple audiences. When you’re building content, there are people who want really hardcore and those who don’t have that much time. They may want to play, but they may not be able to set aside that much time. So we wanted to enable those same experiences of challenge, but make it easier for players to step in. If they had to step away, they could rejoin. So this time in Ghost of Yōtei Legends, the missions are paced a little more consistently and, if we’ve enabled it so that if you replay it, you can play just the boss. So if your team has made it through the puzzles, but then you’re struggling with the boss, run out of time, someone has to leave… you can come straight back to the boss.” “I love hearing in a co-op game where there’s no text on screen naming something, how every team comes up with their own language for describing or expressing it.” Raid missions built to prepare you for what’s to come “When we were building the Raid, we wanted to introduce elements [on the mission to the boss encounter] that would prepare you for what you’re going to face in the fight. “So in The Dragon fight, you’ll see the giant Bo-Hiya missiles dropping, so you get a little bit of an introduction to that. And then Saito’s giant sword attack that is mostly undodgeable. If you hit your ultimate, you can avoid it, but it’s just kind of damage that you have to take. And so we introduce that ahead of his fight. We want them to make sense and build off the things that you learned throughout the rest of the experience. I would also say I love hearing in a co-op game where there’s no text on screen naming something, how every team comes up with their own language for describing or expressing it. Every time when we watch streams there’s a natural language evolution that happens in-game as people are trying to describe this thing and communicate to each other.” Adding new threats to throw players off their game… “In The Dragon fight, there’s a moment where bombs start dropping on individual players, and you have to run around. In Legends in general, you can’t hurt other players, but suddenly there’s bombs dropping on you. So wherever you go, you’re creating a danger area. So as everyone’s panicking, you see someone running towards you, and if you cross paths, you’re both going to get blown up by the bombs that are falling. So you have to coordinate to either avoid the giant bombs or destroy them.” …and discovering surprising ways to counter those dangers “If you are a Shinobi and vanish, the bombs stop tracking you, stop dropping. And if you can get near your teammates and cause them all to vanish, it’ll skip that entire bomb drop sequence. That was actually something that we didn’t plan for. But when we were testing it, we saw it, and we’re like, oh, that’s actually really awesome.” “We wanted to create moments which we call ‘Group Jump Rope’, where everyone has to do something together as a team, and other moments where one person can be the hero and carry and support the rest of the team.” Built to work together… “A lot of our combat team play Raids in different games. Especially boss-type Raids. So they’re excited to express that design in the Yōtei universe and with the Yōtei combat mechanics. “One of my favorite parts is the Shadow Saito guys that attack you. I mean, I hate them. But the fun part is it’s a great moment for players to practice calling things out for each other. If one player sees the boss getting ready to summon you can call it out, and then everyone else can prepare and try to react in time. We wanted to create moments which we call ‘Group Jump Rope’, where everyone has to do something together as a team, and other moments where one person can be the hero and carry and support the rest of the team. So you want blends of those throughout the battle.” …and Builds to work together “We wanted to have elements that would reward or encourage different build types, or build craft and people bringing their ingenuity and theory to it. We made sure to place a Gear Station right at the beginning of the [Saito] boss fight. So anytime you die as a team, you’ll start back right at the Gear Station. You can tweak your build. And for that fight, you’ll want some perfect parry buffs, to help you against the shadow warriors. Then you need some way to deal with his health, reduce the damage from his big explosion attacks, either, you know, healing, or, you know, some other way. So we wanted the Team Build to impact the experience.” “Those teams have a different mindset, even in how they play. It feels like building an obstacle course with your local team and then throwing Olympians at it.” Watching the first team of players complete the Raid “When you’re making something, you’re always like ‘no one’s going to beat that, this is going to be tough, this is going to slow people down’. And sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. “The world’s first team beat Saito, I think, in like two minutes. And they had spent, I think, an hour or so leading up to that point. And so I thought, oh, you know, I was thinking, proportionally, it’ll probably be another half hour or something… and they just headshot him. They found the most kind of efficient and optimal way to defeat him. And that team, those teams, have a different mindset, even in how they play. It feels like building an obstacle course with your local team and then throwing Olympians at it. But it’s awesome. You never know exactly what will happen, but that’s part of what makes it exciting. And then a lot of the other teams that we watched took more of what we would have expected, two to three hours, to learn and repeat and practice and defeat that boss. So there’s always a variety. “There’s not many times in game development where you actually get to release content and see how people react. It’s especially fun with Raid type content, where teams have prepared leading up to that point. It’s really cool when they’re streaming with a Raid team, they will often have their mics on and broadcasting audio. You get a window into what they’re thinking as they’re playing and that communication… you get to see all of it evolving as they’re playing. It’s a very clear window into their full experience. So as developers, that’s really fun to see.” A Ghosts’ tale concluded “The Raid update was our last major planned update for Legends. It finishes the story of the Yōtei Six in that mode. We’ve loved to see players playing it, continue to play it and enjoy it. It’s been great.” You can enjoy the Raid and the entire elections multiplayer mode with Ghost of Yōtei, available now on PlayStation 5. View the full article

You grip your controller until your thumbs go numb. You’re just gonna go on one more run. Hypnotic waves of colorful bullets fill the screen as you weave through the chaos, locked into an adrenaline-pumped flow state. But beneath that audiovisual and technical excellence, there are narrative reasons to explore the hostile alien world of Carcosa. Play Video The Soltari Enforcer, Arjun Devraj, played by actor Rahul Kohli, is deployed alongside a rescue crew, to Carcosa to secure a lost mining colony, though he may be harboring ulterior motives. The story of Saros takes Housemarque in a new bold direction, and it’s all propped on the shoulders of the actors behind these performances. ​​ Finding Carcosa: Becoming Arjun is a behind-the-scenes documentary that explores how Arjun came to life. Taking you onto the performance capture stage, the film features exclusive footage and new interviews with Kohli and the development team, detailing exactly what it took for Arjun to find his voice. “As both a filmmaker and a lifelong gamer, I’ve always been fascinated by what makes a video game character truly feel authentic. Really pop out of the screen. With this episode, I wanted to not only peel back the curtain to share a glimpse of the technical side of performance capture, but also shine some light on the human process behind it.” says Paul J. Vogel, the director of the three-part Finding Carcosa documentary series. The tech and freedom of performance capture “I hated it,” laughs Rahul when asked about his first day on the performance capture stage. “It’s a very strange feeling. You spend most of your time worrying how you look in this lycra wet suit, wishing you’d gone to the gym. It takes an hour or two before you stop feeling silly. That’s the strange thing. It starts tech heavy – calibrating your fingers. And then once you’ve done that, it felt like an empty stage with actors and a director, and a script. Most actors are comfortable with doing a lot with very little. From day one in a rehearsal space, you are working without props, without stage furniture. Everything else, [the tech], has just gone.” Rahul references advice he received from Troy Baker. “He said it was the purest form of acting you’ll ever do. And he was right. I’m not playing to the camera… it’s just about me and [the other actors].” Finding the characters’ by focusing on story-driven scenes first The studio made sure to organise the shoot order so the cast could settle into the character’s roles, and find their respective voices. “We started with a lot more of the dream elements,” explains Louden. “That way they didn’t need to know exactly who they were. They could be more dreamlike and from there go into the more realistic, naturalistic performance.” Gamer-turned-game protagonist “He’s [Rahul Kolhi] a gamer as well, so he knows what he is looking for a videogame character,” reminisces senior narrative designer Khalil Osaimi. “On set he had so many notes, even with the script. It was really interesting to see him collaborate with Greg, because it was like two kids with action figures [laughs]. They created a fantastic spectacle. “That collaboration was how to add these little details for players, and bring this level of authenticity whether players are watching the performance capture or hearing the voice over… it feels real.” How a traffic jam helped Rahul find Arjun’s voice “I had to catch a flight, and Housemarque wouldn’t have access to me for six months,” says Kolhi. “And they needed the trailer. And in order for me to make my flight I had to record on the other side of town in LA crazy early. And I’m stuck in traffic. And I was so worked up and angry at seven, eight in the morning. We recorded the teaser trailer. And that voice that came out was angrier, more intense than anything we’d done or explored previously. And Greg and I were immediately like… ‘wait, that’s him. That’s who we’ve been looking for’…. being angry and not being good enough to hide it… that was where Arjun was really born.” “Rahul’s anecdote about finding the true voice of Arjun is the perfect summary of how sometimes the creative nature of storytelling can be unpredictable. It’s funny because it is so completely unglamorous. Stuck in traffic, already late for a recording session and up against the clock for a departing flight. It shows how a character can come alive from research, rehearsal and collaboration with your director… but sometimes all it really takes is one very bad commute,” Paul continues It was not only amazing to see Rahul’s dedication to find Arjun, but also how much it meant to him on a personal level. You can feel how Saros is a milestone in his career that he might have not even dared to dream of some years ago. As both an actor and an avid gamer, he understood the assignment and felt the weight in bringing to life a character that hopefully would resonate with gamers across the world. Thank you so much Rahul and the whole cast, and a thank you to all our players as well. Saros is available now on PS5. View the full article

This month, outwit the galaxy’s crime syndicates, witness the end of the Wild West era, confront twisted creatures inspired by Nordic folklore, or uncover the secrets of early 20th-century Warsaw. All these titles and more are available in May’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup*. Meanwhile, PlayStation Plus Premium welcomes the iconic arcade shooter Time Crisis. The full lineup will be available to play on May 19. *Digital PS5 games available to stream from your library will vary over time, region, and country. PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Star Wars Outlaws | PS5 Experience the first-ever open world Star Wars game and explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, an emerging scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life. Fight, steal and outwit your way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted. If you’re willing to take the risk, the galaxy is full of opportunity. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Red Dead Redemption 2* | PS4 From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a sprawling tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age. The end of the Wild West era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the Western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde Gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal, and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him. Red Dead Redemption 2 also includes Red Dead Online — the multiplayer experience set in the living world of Red Dead Redemption 2 — ride solo or form a posse; run moonshine; battle lawmen, outlaw gangs, ferocious wild animals, and much more as you forge your own path on the American frontier. *PlayStation Plus re-release. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Bramble: The Mountain King | PS5, PS4 Bramble The Mountain King takes you on a gripping and unsettling journey through stunning environments. Take on the role of Olle, a young boy setting off to rescue his sister, kidnapped by a dreaded troll. Not everything in Bramble is exactly how it seems – in this strange land with creatures big and small, you must be careful when to approach and when to hide. Many hungry and spiteful beasts lurk in these forests and caves. Watch your step…. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image The Thaumaturge | PS5 Wiktor Szulski is a thaumaturge, a master of mystical arts, who can peer into the hearts and minds of others, uncovering their deepest emotions, desires, and secrets. However, his powers also feed into his flaw of pride, which can present him with various opportunities or lead to negative consequences. As a thaumaturge, you draw your power from the ability to summon salutors – mystical, folklore-inspired demons that inhabit the ethereal realm. Use their powers to manipulate your foes, sway the minds of allies, and fight opponents in turn-based tactical combat. Engage in deep, tactical combat against various opponents – some physical, others more elusive. Wiktor’s thaumaturgical abilities let you bend the rules of reality, summoning demons to unleash powerful attacks or gain strategic advantages. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn | PS5 From games studio A44, makers of Ashen, comes an explosive Souls-lite, where Gods and guns collide in a battle for the future of humanity. The Door to the Great Below has been opened unleashing the Gods and their armies of the Dead. The lands of Kian are besieged, the city of Dawn is on the brink of destruction. It’s time for the Coalition army to fight back. Embrace vengeance, gunpowder and magic as you embark on an epic journey to defeat the Gods, close the door and retake the world. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Broken Sword – Shadows of the Templar: Reforged | PS5, PS4 Step out onto the streets of Paris in “Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged”, a substantially enhanced version of the multi-award winning, all-time classic adventure. Enjoy a globe-spanning story when intrepid American George Stobbart and fearless journalist Nico Collard are pitched into a gripping adventure, exploring exotic locations, solving ancient mysteries, and thwarting dark conspiracies to discover the arcane secrets of the Knights Templar. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Enotria: The Last Song Standard Edition | PS5 Enotria is an action RPG soulslike set in a beautiful sun-lit land inspired by Italian nature and folklore, and it is up to you to unravel the mysteries of this stunning world. Become the Mask of Change and free the world from the Canovaccio – a twisted eternal play that keeps the world in unnatural stasis. Don the Mask of your fallen foes to assume their roles and enable new ways of playing. Choose strategically which Mask to use and swap between up to three custom loadouts at any time. Defeat the mighty Authors and free the world from stagnation. PlayStation Plus Premium View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Time Crisis | PS5, PS4 The arcade smash hit, Time Crisis, is back. The home version that debuted on PlayStation in 1997 returns on PS4 and PS5, complete with the original console-exclusive special stages and all-new gyro aiming. Dive into a thrilling firefight, taking cover behind walls and doors to evade enemy attacks. This title has been converted from the PlayStation version to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles and provides newly added features. *PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe lineups may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day. View the full article