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Photo Modes are a rewarding way to get to grips with some essential elements of photography, while letting you more closely examine and appreciate a game’s art design and increasingly photorealistic visuals. Feature-rich Photo Modes put an entire suite of virtual lighting rigs at your fingertips, subtracting concerns about space requirements, or the patience of your models as you get your composition just right. Insomniac in particular continues to bring a superheroic heft to its photographic options, first established through its Marvel’s Spider-Man games, with Marvel’s Wolverine. The game’s out for just over a month, and we continue to be dazzled by the Photo Mode skills players have displayed since launch. We’ve equally had questions from budding shutterbugs asking for guidance on how to better their shots. Here, we unpack some of the options the studio offers up in Photo Mode and some examples to get you thinking. Warning: some of the photos here are spoilers for the game’s outfits and mid-game content Set up tips Chapter select: Once you’ve rolled credits, loading your save file will pop you back in Logan’s cabin. Head to the bed to access a chapter select menu, letting you leap into any location or moment from the story. From Canada’s snowy wilderness, neon-soaked Shinjuku arcades, to the compact districts of Madripoor and more, you got plenty of backdrops, blockbuster moments and quieter character moments to work with. Photo Mode UI repositioning: Insomniac has packed in a multitude of options in its Photo Mode to cater to every need you’d have. That includes up to 5 independent lighting rigs (plus customisable natural light options!), character poses, miniature mode, filters and more. Extensive options means a chunky, multi-tab Photo Mode UI. Remember: if you find the UI is blocking your shot, you can tap a button to alternate it between the left and right of your screen. D-Pad Shortcuts: As default you access Photo Mode from the Pause menu, but jump into Settings, and you can map a shortcut to Photo Mode to the DualSense’s D-Pad. And while you’re there, assign another D-Pad button to adjust the game speed, letting you reduce game speed by 30, 50 or 70%. Useful when you want to capture the perfect action moment. Landscape, portrait or between: You can use the Tilt option to angle the camera from a straight landscape shot, to a dramatic dutch angle, or a 9×16 portrait image. You’ll need to tilt your own head to better compose the shot with that last option (or, if you’re playing on a PlayStation Portal, just turn the handheld device on its side). I see five lights A headline feature of Marvel’s Wolverine Photo mode is five independent lights, each offering separate colour spectrums, intensity options, adjustable distances and such. You can choose each light to be Sphere (casting a wider glow from their centre) or Spotlights (a stronger directional beam). One to two lights: That can seem daunting, but you don’t have to use them all! In fact, for individual portrait shots, just one or two will do. In photography terms, two lights cover your key light, and your rim light. The former is the main light, illuminating your subject from the front. Play about with having this light to the side, above or below your subject to change the mood of the shot. The latter usually is positioned behind your subject at a lower intensity and at a slight angle, casting a soft fall of light onto your model’s side, shoulders or hair, which separates them from the background. But those guidelines aren’t rigid: play with lighting, shifting from traditional portraiture to something more startling, as I’ve done with the above. (Which positions Logan’s character model within the radius of a gun’s muzzle flash during a fight scene.) And once you’ve comfortable with one subject, extend it to two models, then group shots. So, 5 lights. There’s a few examples of location-based uses that could help wrap your head around how to operate them. Try this: Take the arcade early on in the “In the Shadows” chapter. It’s a barrage of colour, glowing cabinet screens and neon ceiling lights battling for dominance. Switch to Photo Mode and use each light to mimic the glow of a different arcade cabinet screen, or infer ones that aren’t even in shot. Tinker with the intensity and light type of each. You’re just trying to best replicate the mood and look of an arcade bar. I applied the same trick to the casino scene below, but with two lights only. One was positioned just in front of the fruit machine to give off that notable glow, which bathed Jean Grey’s left side in purple light. Logan on the other hand was the focus of an off-white light off-camera, mimicking the glow from the wider casino floor. Three lights: The below photo ups the set to three lights, this time coloured to replicate the flow from the two lanterns to the rear of the shot, and the candles on the floor in the foreground. I upped the intensity of the front light to cast a strong shadow on the floor. A similar trick I applied to an alternate version on the arcade scene: notice the shadow of the grabber claw cast on the back wall? Move him as you need him In all the shots thus far, my focus was ever on the position and body language of NPCs, rather than Logan himself. That’s because with the Character Pose option, you’re able to cycle through a set of different locked poses, and then, with movement options, you’re free to move Wolverine to anywhere within a generous radius (up, down, left, right, back and forward). You can rotate him, cycle through a variety of facial expressions and switch between any suits or claws you’ve currently unlocked. You can also hide him entirely, or any enemy NPC thanks to a toggle option in the menus. A good rule of thumb with any photo: once snapped, cycle through the different suits before exiting. Some might fit the mood of a shot better, and the various materials on each react differently to light sources. Note: Logan’s original position when entering Photo Mode will be taken as the centre point to which the 5 independent lights will circle around, not where he is moved to. So you’ll need to adjust lights accordingly if you want him lit a certain way. Ready, set, action (figure) A fun feature making a welcome leap from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Action Figure mode. Found in the Character Pose sub-menu, one click turns Logan miniature. Ripe for some creative executions. For myself, I envisioned Wolverine sitting in Jean’s outstretched palm. In trying to capture that moment during a combat moment, I stumbled onto something unexpected: the world’s smallest Fastball Special. Worth noting: despite his (more than usual) diminutive size, mini-Logan’s model has the same movement radius (up, down, left right, forward or back) as his normal-sized version. The above had a comic book cover-like look I liked, which led me to the rabbit hole of using miniature work, and the ability to switch backgrounds to a specific colour palette to mimic something you’d see on the front of a graphic novel. The above was possible due to another feature worth flagging: Logan has an entirely separate set of poses when he’s airborne, as exampled below. Merging Figures The Wolverine character model isn’t blocked by other character models or environmental objects when moving him, giving you the flexibility to get characters side by side for some dramatic shots. Don’t worry about any clipping or overlaps between models! The right camera angle will hide that imperfection (such as the shots below: in the first Jean’s right arm is actually clipping through Logan’s jacket, the second, Logan’s knee is clipping through Jean’s back). That said, don’t be afraid to get creative with the clipping. Example below: having Jean and Logan’s heads blend together, a nod to sci-fi movie-style posters and referencing how the game’s story delves into his mind and memories. Composed and captured your shot? Now pan around Captured a great shot? Great. But before you back out of Photo Mode, train yourself to do one last pan around. There may be an alternative angle to your setup, a hidden detail just out of view. Heck, there could be a completely different photo worth capturing in the frozen moment. For me, an early example was the below. Originally this was a neon-lit picture of Wolverine in a completely different pose. But I widened the lens and spotted Jean’s hand in the foreground, which made for a fun framing device and also gave a different vibe to the photo. Now go grab some great photos The above isn’t intended to be an exhaustive run down of the game’s many Photo Mode options, but a few primers to get you thinking and start on capturing great shots of your own. If you need more inspiration, find a few more galleries below! Street Photography Gallery Remember to look beyond your immediate view. Every location in the game is rich with cool environments or background characters going about their lives. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Action Gallery You can increase the amount of blood or damage on Logan’s character model via a specific menu option in Photo Mode. View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Verify your age to view this content. Verify your age to view this content. View the full article

It’s time to see which PS5, PS4, PS VR2, and free-to-play games topped last month’s download charts. In September, Marvel’s Wolverine led the PS5 charts in the US, followed by EA Sports FC 27, while in the EU, EA Sports FC 27 led the PS5 charts, followed by Marvel’s Wolverine. Check out the full listings below. What titles are you playing this month? PS5 Games US/CanadaEUMarvel’s WolverineEA Sports FC 27EA Sports FC 27Marvel’s WolverineNBA 2K27The Blood of DawnwalkerHalloweenHalloweenThe Blood of DawnwalkerGrand Theft Auto VMadden NFL 27MinecraftOnimusha: Way of the SwordOnimusha: Way of the SwordControl ResonantNBA 2K27NHL 27Forza Horizon 5College Football 27Control ResonantCall of Duty: Black Ops IICall of Duty: Black Ops IIMinecraftValheimValheimThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntGrand Theft Auto VSilent Hill: TownfallSilent Hill: TownfallResident Evil 4Minecraft Dungeons IIMinecraft Dungeons IIForza Horizon 5NHL 27Call of Duty: Black OpsDune: AwakeningDune: Awakening007 First LightResident Evil 4It Takes Two *Naming of products may differ between regions *Upgrades not included PS4 Games US/CanadaEURed Dead Redemption 2EA Sports FC 27Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIRed Dead Redemption 2Batman: Arkham KnightBatman: Arkham KnightGang BeastsA Way OutCall of Duty: WWIICall of Duty: WWIIResident Evil 5Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIResident Evil 6Gang BeastsMinecraftNeed for Speed HeatNeed for Speed HeatLEGO Marvel Super HeroesLEGO Marvel Super HeroesCall of Duty: Modern WarfaretheHunter: Call of the WildCrash Bandicoot N. Sane TrilogyCall of Duty: Modern WarfareMinecraftA Way OutUnravel TwoGod of WarThe ForestStar Wars Battlefront IIMafia TrilogyMortal Kombat XResident Evil 6Crash Bandicoot N. Sane TrilogyResident Evil 5EA Sports FC 27God of WarThe ForesttheHunter: Call of the WildInjustice 2LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 *Naming of products may differ between regions PS VR2 Games* US/CanadaEUI Am Cat I Am Cat Horizon Call of the MountainBeat SaberBeat SaberPavlovPavlovHorizon Call of the MountainJob SimulatorJob SimulatorCities: VR – Enhanced EditionMetro AwakeningArizona Sunshine VR 2Arizona Sunshine VR 2Bootstrap IslandCities: VR – Enhanced EditionMetro AwakeningVampire: The Masquerade – JusticeHard BulletSwordsman VR *PlayStation Store purchases only. Game upgrades or games bundled with hardware not included Free to Play (PS5 + PS4) US/CanadaEUCall of Duty: WarzoneAniimoOnce HumanFortniteFortniteCall of Duty: WarzoneAniimoRobloxRobloxOnce HumanMarvel RivalsRocket LeagueRocket LeagueeFootballApex LegendsAsphalt LegendsAsphalt LegendsMarvel RivalsFall GuysFall Guys View the full article

When Lara Croft first leapt onto screens in 1996, she was a few hundred polygons and a fistful of pixels. Thirty years later, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis reimagines that same adventurer with technology the original team could only dream of. Through it all, one goal held steady: she had to look like Lara. For a generation of players, their first adventure with Lara unfolded on PlayStation. Tomb Raider and PlayStation came of age together in the mid-nineties, each helping shape what that new era of gaming could be. Thirty years later, that connection still resonates, and Lara’s latest journey continues on PlayStation 5. Play Video Building on the original “Now we have that technology and the computing power, we ask, how do we make this the most realistic-looking Lara while sticking with that original design?” For the character team, the 1996 design is the anchor every choice answers to. “When the original Lara was made, we could only have a certain number of polygons, a certain number of textures,” says Brendon Bengston at Crystal Dynamics. “There were a lot of things we wanted to do to make things look realistic that we just didn’t have the technology for. Now we have that technology and the computing power, so we ask, how do we make this the most realistic-looking Lara while sticking with that original design?” Every console generation since has moved that design a step forward. The PlayStation 2 era of Legend, Anniversary, and Underworld gave Lara smoother geometry and more expressive animation, and the Survivor trilogy pushed her detail and realism further still. Each leap added polygons, texture, and nuance, and each one answered back to that same 1996 silhouette. For the concept team, the harder challenge was balance: pushing the fidelity forward while keeping her instantly recognizable. “You want them to feel believable, but you also want them to look recognizable,” says Aleksandra Skiba, Senior Character Concept Artist at Flying Wild Hog. “You have to figure out what you can do now to make them better.” Rendering a living character The leap from 1996 is most visible in the details that used to be impossible. Take her hair. “Back in the first couple of Tomb Raider games, it was all polygons, all big shapes,” Bengston says. “Now we are able to create hair cards and craft exact strands.” Hair cards are thin, overlapping strips of semi-transparent texture, layered to mimic real clumps of hair rather than the solid, helmet-like shapes of the past. The difference is in the motion. “How does the bang move? What does the ponytail feel like? What does the braid feel like? We can get in and craft every nook and cranny.” Her skin carries the same fidelity. “We can do a lot of things with our materials for the skin. We have subsurface scattering, we have flow maps,” Bengston says. Subsurface scattering is the effect that makes skin look alive rather than plastic, light sinking slightly into the surface and glowing back out, the way your ear looks lit from within when the sun is behind it. The face goes further still. “We can craft custom blend shapes so that when Lara squinches, we see bespoke lines on her face, on the forehead, when she smiles or when she frowns.” Blend shapes are sculpted facial poses the game moves between, letting a single face form thousands of natural expressions. “We weren’t able to do that not long ago. Using this technology from Epic in Unreal has let us take the characters to the next level, not just in their static model but in how they move and emote.” Real fabric, real folds “We actually hired a tailor to create an actual outfit for her. They made it, we put it on a mannequin and scanned it, and now we have a real-world asset of the digital version.” To dress Lara believably, the team leaned on the real world. “Early on we decided to leverage a scanning pipeline,” Bengston says. “We sculpted the base body, got it 3D printed at real scale, sent it to a vendor, put real-world clothes on the mannequin, and scanned that. It gives us real-world cloth. Denim folds differently than silk. It folds differently from chiffon or cotton or wool.” For one of Lara’s outfits, they went all the way. “We actually hired a tailor to create an actual outfit for her,” Bengston says. “They made it, we put it on a mannequin and scanned it, and now we have a real-world asset of the digital version.” What we kept, what we reimagined Technology renders the surface. Identity is what the team fought to protect. John Stafford, Narrative Director at Crystal Dynamics, frames the reimagining in three parts. “What we kept: Lara’s intelligence, fearlessness, and thrill-seeking spirit remain completely intact,” he says. “What we evolved: we deepened her emotional depth and relationships without losing her confidence. What we reimagined: we unified the mythic, grounded, and larger-than-life tones of multiple Tomb Raider eras into one Lara.” It is a challenge the studio has faced before. “Anniversary was about retelling a classic through a modern lens. Legacy of Atlantis is about synthesizing thirty years of Lara into something new,” Stafford says. “Anniversary taught us that, outside of plot points, fans remember how Lara makes them feel. We want to evoke similar emotions from across all previous eras.” That includes the younger, rawer Lara of the Survivor trilogy. “The Survivor era showed us Lara works well when danger has consequences,” Stafford says. “We carried forward her physicality, emotional credibility, and sense of earned resilience. Even at her most confident and badass, this Lara still feels human.” One Lara, every era “No matter the era, Lara must always feel like someone who needs to know what’s behind the next door.” The result is a Lara built to resonate with anyone who has ever picked up a controller in her name. For players meeting her for the first time, the target is simple. “That she’s the smartest person in the room, and the boldest,” Stafford says. “That adventure isn’t something she survives, it’s something she actively pursues.” One quality, Stafford says, was non-negotiable no matter which era a fan loves most. “Lara’s curiosity and spirit of discovery. No matter the era, Lara must always feel like someone who needs to know what’s behind the next door.” Everything about how she is made has changed. What makes her Lara has not. Pre-order Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis Lara Croft’s greatest adventure begins February 12, 2027. Pre-orders are live now on PlayStation Store, so secure your edition before launch. View the full article

Hey everyone, we have huge news to share with you today. Once Human’s largest free expansion yet, Isles of Abyss, is officially launching tomorrow, October 22 （October 21) on PlayStation 5. We’ve taken the strange worlds survival you know and love, and plunged it into uncharted waters. Starting tomorrow, you can leave the safety of dry land behind, set sail across five brand-new oceanic regions, and face down brand new threats unlike anything you’ve ever encountered before. Dive into a “living” ocean When we set out to build this expansion, we wanted to make sure that the sea felt like more than just a blue backdrop or a way to get from A to B. In Isles of Abyss, the entire ocean is a massive, conscious entity known as “The Sunken Lord.” The water surface you navigate is its physical body, while the eerie, staring lighthouses “The Tower” and spectral ghost ships “Voyagers” drifting through the fog act as its organs and manifestations of its dark will. The sea is constantly watching you, reacting to your presence, and feeding on your fear. As you explore, you’ll encounter dynamic regional threats – from suffocating mysterious fogs and violent black tides to skies raining temporal fire. To untangle the secrets of this world, you and your squad will need to brave these anomalies, defeat regional bosses anchored in colossal towers, and ultimately confront the Sunken Lord itself. Build your dream Mobile Sea Fortress To survive a sea that actively wants to devour you, a basic wooden raft isn’t going to cut it for long – though that’s exactly where your journey begins. We’ve given you complete freedom to build, customize, and upgrade your vessel into a fully functional, mobile Sea Fortress. Your ship isn’t just transportation; it’s your forward base, workshop, heavy artillery platform, and primary survival tool. Want to build a classic wooden pirate ship armed with heavy broadside cannons? Go for it. Prefer an industrial drilling rig, a sleek sci-fi aircraft carrier, or a completely wild, abstract floating fortress? The design is entirely up to your imagination. How you engineer your vessel serves as your tactical answer to the ocean’s threats. You can team up with friends to form entire player fleets, coordinating your ship designs to tackle different hazards together as you sail through uncharted waters. The land-sea dual progression loop Your survival journey begins as you wake up on a starter island, but from there, the order in which you explore the remaining four oceanic regions is entirely up to you, allowing every player to carve out a unique growth path. Isles of Abyss introduces a seamless, mutually feeding progression loop between land and sea. Resources gathered from exploring mysterious islands fuel the naval tech and heavy weaponry needed to survive open-water encounters. In turn, venturing into the deep sea unlocks specialized materials that enhance your terrestrial gear and base progression. Beneath the waves, a dedicated underwater exploration layer awaits, where you can dive deep into sunken ruins for lost treasure, harvest rare aquatic resources, and engage in deep-sea hunting to sustain your crew and gain special materials. Feel every wave with PS5 features We’ve fully tailored this aquatic journey for the PlayStation 5 to make navigating a hostile ocean feel as tactile as possible: DualSense haptic feedback: Feel the low, rumbling heartbeat of the Sunken Lord beneath your hull, along with the distinct rhythm of crashing waves, roaring sea storms, and hull-creaking impact during naval combat. Adaptive triggers: Experience realistic resistance with every shot as you pull the trigger on heavy naval cannons or launch grappling lines into enemy vessels. Lightning-Fast SSD Loading: Seamlessly transition from land exploration to captaining your ship, or diving deep into underwater trenches, without interrupting your survival flow. Prepare to set sail tomorrow The tide has turned, and the living ocean is waiting. Grab your friends, head over to the PlayStation Store, and download Once Human to be ready for the free-to-play Isles of Abyss expansion arriving on PS5 tomorrow.. We’ll see you on the open sea – try not to let it swallow you whole. View the full article

There is joy in being a little scared. From pleasantly spooky atmospheres to frights that make your fingers fidget on the controller. Our team has played many horror-themed indie games, from cozy to creepy, and we’re excited to share some of our favorites to keep players frightened and having fun this Halloween season. CloverPit What’s scary about slot machines? Not much, unless you’ve ever tried to navigate a casino floor with your wallet (and ears) intact. But what if your life was riding on every jackpot? What if you were locked in a grim, rusted-metal nightmare room, suspended above a bottomless pit, with only a broken toilet and a few lucky charms to keep you company? Bet you’d be pretty scared then, huh? Huh!? In any case, that’s the premise of CloverPit, a macabre slot-machine roguelite in which your only hope of survival is to win enough coins to clear an ever-rising debt. This isn’t entirely random; unlocking a few of those charms can tilt the odds in your favor, and learning to synergize them can keep you a few steps ahead of your unseen captors. Also, the longer you survive, the more likely you are to get bonuses you can build strategies around, giving you more breathing room to plan an escape. So don’t get discouraged if your first few attempts send you tumbling into the abyss – there’s always a chance for better luck, even unstoppable luck, on your next run. – Mikel Reparaz, Game Content Analyst Escape the Backrooms Play Video Escape the Backrooms is a horror exploration game that plunges you into the unsettling world of the internet’s infamous Backrooms legend. Traverse more than 30 eerie levels, solve puzzles, avoid terrifying entities, and search for a way out. Just remember: survival is far from guaranteed. Brave the Backrooms alone for a tense, atmospheric experience, or team up online with up to three friends. Proximity voice chat means you’ll need to stick together whilst communicating carefully! The catch? Keep your voices to a whisper; the entities can hear you too. What makes Escape the Backrooms a must-play is how brilliantly it balances psychological horror with chaotic multiplayer fun. Its unsettling environments and unpredictable dangers make solo exploration genuinely nerve-racking, while playing with friends can quickly turn into a chorus of panicked shouting and questionable decisions. Few horror games make being lost so terrifying, or watching your friends make everything worse so entertaining. – Jonty Binns, Global Account Manager Fangtopia Play Video Not every spooky game needs to scare the life out of you. Fangtopia is a cozy, single-player puzzle game where you build your own monster-filled kingdom, one hexagonal tile at a time. Connect forests, towns, mountains, and railways to create a sprawling landscape, then populate it with werewolves, yetis, and other wonderfully weird creatures. And there’s no timer, so you can relax whilst planning each move. Fangtopia is a must-play because it captures the spirit of Halloween without any of the scares. Its charming monsters, playful atmosphere, and satisfying puzzle mechanics make it the perfect game to unwind with after a night of horror. Whether you’re building the creepiest kingdom imaginable or simply seeing what strange creatures you can discover, Fangtopia proves that Halloween can be all treats, no tricks. – Jonty Binns, Global Account Manager Graveyard Keeper 2 Play Video Is it weird to call this medieval apocalyptic game cozy? Because this is exactly how I would summarise this game in one word. I have never played the first game (Graveyard Keeper), so I learned the gameplay mechanics and story just by playing this one. I am usually not a fan of resource-management games, but somehow Graveyard Keeper 2 really hooked me, and I ended up losing track of time while playing! Customization also plays a big part, letting you decide where and what to build as you gradually bring the town back to life. From the characters’ tone to the art style (2D, retro pixelated art), I started wondering why I never played the first one! The gameplay is quite full-on, with multiple things to do depending on what you prefer: complete quests, craft objects, build a zombie army to help you restore the town, or simply look after your church and graveyard. For someone new to the franchise, I recommend this game if you want a cozy, story-driven experience that unfolds at your own pace! Who knew rebuilding a town with the help of zombies could be so relaxing? – Juliette Common – Go-To-Market Strategist Hunter’s Moon Play Video What I enjoyed most about Hunter’s Moon was how different it felt from most horror games I’ve played. Rather than relying on monsters or jump scares, it draws its tension from the people, places, and beliefs that shape its world. I found myself slowing down to absorb the atmosphere, listening in on conversations, exploring winding countryside paths, and gradually piecing together the lives of the community around me. Some of my favorite moments came from simply observing the stories unfolding inside homes and taverns, while the game’s wonderfully strange mummers, handcrafted visual style, and strong sense of British folklore gave every encounter a distinctive character. One moment I was completely engrossed in the villagers’ lives and dramas; the next I was desperately trying to evade capture when a stealth sequence took an unexpected turn. The result is a mature, atmospheric folk-horror experience that feels genuinely unlike anything else I’ve played recently. – Dominic Kendrick – Producer Phasmophobia Play Video Are solo scares not your thing? Maybe you’d feel braver with some friends along. Phasmophobia lets you team up with three other ghost hunters to investigate extremely haunted locations and gather evidence of the supernatural. Using voice chat and advanced equipment like UV lights, cameras, and thermometers, you’ll creep through dark spaces, hunting for clues about the resident ghost. Just know that the ghosts can hunt you back. While you’re poking around and laughing with your friends, you might see eerie phenomena, lights flickering, doors slamming, or even the ghost itself, but when the front door locks and you hear it coming, it’s time to run, hide, and hope it doesn’t find you. And don’t scream, they’re always listening. Always. – Mikel Reparaz, Game Content Analyst Reanimal Play Video Beautiful dissonance is the shortest way to describe the feeling of playing Reanimal. Juxtaposed against a morose color palette where scares lurk behind every shadow, it’s a tender, cooperative experience that gently guides the player through environmental storytelling at its finest. You play as an orphaned brother and sister on a mission to rescue their missing friends, navigating a nightmarish island through a combination of stealth and puzzle-platforming mechanics. One moment, you may crouch behind an object to hide from a macabre creature; the next, you may be frantically chased through cavernous woods teeming with monstrous surprises. In all of these moments, you’ll have to work with your sibling to survive, forging a shared experience in the dark. From its sumptuously dark atmosphere to its tense pursuits across the island, Reanimal is the perfect companion for spooky season. – Becky Sayers, Independent Partners Team Lead Silver Pines Play Video A private detective lost in a rainy, mostly abandoned mountain town is a natural setup for a Lynchian survival-horror game; a side-scrolling search-action, not so much. Yet Silver Pines blends its inspirations cleverly, delivering a moody, mystery-filled adventure where players hunt for keys and clues while discovering weapons that let them tear through obstacles and misshapen creatures with equal ease. It starts slow. Investigator Red Walker wakes up in a diner with little more than his modest ability to jog and dodge, but the game quickly immerses players in a nightmare mystery as Red delves into decrepit motels, flooded tunnels, and dreamlike spaces in search of missing musician Eddie Velvet. An unusual high-contrast art style and surprisingly effective scares deepen the sense of unease, while satisfyingly brutal, stompy combat makes pushing deeper into the horror more fun. It’s a strange, melancholic, and utterly unique take on survival horror. – Mikel Reparaz, Game Content Analyst The Midnight Walk Play Video The Midnight Walk is a single-player, first-person adventure focused on exploration, puzzles, and stealth. You travel through a beautifully twisted dark fantasy world alongside Potboy, a small lantern-like companion whose flame is key to your journey. What makes this a standout must-play is its incredible handcrafted art style, with every character and environment sculpted in clay and 3D-scanned into the game. It feels like stepping into a dark stop-motion movie that’s weird, beautiful, and unsettling in equal measure, and unlike almost anything else out there. If you love Tim Burton films or are a fan of Little Nightmares, this is a must-play for you. – John Vega, Director, Head of Independent Partner Relations Discover more indie favorites on PlayStation Play Video What spooky games are you playing this Halloween season? View the full article