Here’s how it works. You apply to participate in the program (applications open today) using your PlayStation ID and a little bit of “additional information”, and wait to see if your application is part of the final pool of players. Next, you have a video interview with Sony’s representatives where you’ll be quizzed about your time with PlayStation titles. An interview where you get to discuss your favorite games with the publisher that oversees them? That’s definitely interesting!

Finally, if you’re lucky enough, your portrait is going to be a part of Gran Turismo 7 where it functions similarly to other in-game characters. You also design your own Fantasy Logo and a custom kit for the game’s many vehicles.

If you don’t make it, don’t be disheartened. Gran Turismo 7 is just the beginning for The Playerbase, with Sony looking to expand the program to other titles from PlayStation Studios. You can read the full announcement here.

You’re going to find yourself outmatched pretty quickly if you approach this new adventure with anything short of your best fighting skills. Luckily, we’ve been through it all and lived to tell the tale, and decided to help you start your journey armed with knowledge, while Kratos brings his still-developing yet awesome abilities to the battlefield.

Let’s dive right in!

Train Your Muscle Memory Right

You’re going to notice that attacks come with four different colors, and knowing what to expect when each one is displayed can help you prepare your response without really thinking about it. Look at it like a sort of rock-paper-scissors situation, and you’re golden.

A red attack must be met with a dodge, allowing you to reposition and get in a few hits of your own. A blue attack must be blocked while a yellow one can be parried to get your enemy off balance. A purple attack must be avoided at all costs. Internalize the colors and you’ll find yourself reacting to your opponents just as a Spartan would, with your reflexes taking over in the heat of battle.

Know Your Enemy Drops

Like enemy attacks, the drops you can obtain from them once are tied to the type of attacks you hit them with. For instance, landing basic attacks nets you yellow orbs that refill your Spirit meter, allowing you to dish out more stun damage via Spartan Spirit attacks. Those attacks net green orbs that provide health.

Since all of your orbs are absorbed automatically, irrespective of whether you need them or not, paying attention to your health, spirit, and magic is important to sustaining your attack potential over the course of a fight. Red orbs drop naturally upon defeating enemies, while blue ones drop from enemies that use magic attacks.

Know When To Back Off

Remember when we said that blue attacks need to be blocked? That’s a good time to reset spacing and regain your rhythm, adjusting your spacing just about enough to ensure that you can punish your opponent’s recovery animations once you do.

It can be easy to just back away completely out of attack range, acting on instinct instead of using the moment to try building up stun or perhaps unleashing a devastating counterattack. A true Spartan stands their ground while using their enemy’s own moves against them, after all.

Know When To Go In For The Kill

You should be treating every yellow attack as an opportunity to show your foes exactly why they should fear you in the moment and for a long time after. Parrying is a great way to shift the momentum of a fight in your favor and keep it that way for as long as your enemy is still standing.

Getting the timing down means that you’re not just avoiding damage, but actively opening up your foes to stuns and powerful counterattacks, unleashing your might on them before they even realize that they’ve made a grave mistake coming after you. The best warriors don’t just wait for opportunities, but create them on the fly.

Abuse The Stun Mechanic

There are many ways to stun your opponents, and you should be looking to do that as much as you can if you want to come out on top of each fight. Your shield is a good place to start, allowing you to learn how to block or parry effectively while building up your opponent’s stun bar. Spirit attacks are another great option, and mixing them in from time to time as you get the chance to do so is going to help.

Aside from these easy-to-access methods for stunning, charged, strong attacks, any environmental hazards, specific skills that are tailored for stuns, and of course, an upgraded spear are all options to let you get your opponent to the ground and let you unleash your highest DPS attack to close things out. Just be intentional about it, and you’re going to find that most enemies in the game are unable to withstand the incoming onslaught.

Invest In A Diverse Loadout

As you dive deeper into the adventure, you’re going to find enemies that come with aura shields, which only take damage from specific spirit or magic attacks. To that end, you’re going to have to think like a Spartan and prepare for every eventuality in battle. The way to do that is to have a reliable attack to break through those shields.

Make sure it’s one that you’re comfortable using, and that you know exactly how long it takes to start, execute, and recover from, to ensure that you’re ready to cause some mayhem once the shield is down. The last thing you want to do is waste your energy on attacks that don’t hurt your enemy. Inefficiency is not the Spartan way.

Purple Attacks and Positioning

We know we said purple attacks must be avoided at all costs, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be punishing them at all. Like with blue attacks, calculating an optimal amount of space to stay out of harm’s way while giving yourself the room for a counterattack is the way to go. Work against the instinct to panic roll, and you’ll soon find yourself reacting to them with a grin on your face.

Yes, they’re deadly if they connect and can have you facing death sooner than you’d like. But like any other attack you’re facing down as Kratos, they’re a chance to take advantage of the situation and showcase how he is the embodiment of a Spartan warrior, and a deadly fighter as his skills improve. We all have to start somewhere, right?

Use Spirit Attacks For Stability

It can be tempting to abuse your Spirit attacks to stun your opponents faster, as they do trade damage for more stun build-up. But we’d recommend being a little prudent in their use, as they’re also a way to get health orb drops when things aren’t going your way.

Despite your skills, mistakes do happen, and in a battlefield such as the one Kratos participates in, those mistakes can prove fatal if you don’t have the means to take them in your stride. Save a little of your spirit bar for such situations, using all the other ways we’ve outlined to get those stuns and just let loose on your opponents. It doesn’t matter how fast you take your opponent down, but how efficiently you manage to do so.

Buffs

Your buffs are not meant to be a last resort response that you use when you’re panicking or in a pinch, but are rather useful tools that lend versatility to your fighting style. Don’t hoard them for emergencies, but use them as versatile tools for the situation at hand.

Melee-focused ones are best used as combo extenders, allowing you to dish out damage while letting you reposition right after them and prepare for a counterattack, while the ranged ones can be used to take out hard-to-reach enemies or deal with particularly aggressive ones from a safe distance. You could also use them if you find you’ve messed up on positioning yourself after a blue or purple attack, sustaining your onslaught while you close the gap.

Don’t Sleep on Movement Skills

While it can be hard to ignore skills that let you deal more damage, given that we’re in Kratos’ shoes, you must remember that his speed is equally a part of his skill set as much as strength is. Just because movement skills don’t dish out damage doesn’t mean that they should be ignored.

Sons of Sparta is a platforming game after all, and since that genre revolves around loot, moving faster through levels is a great way to ensure that your inventory always has what you need to be more effective in the field. You’re also going to be avoiding more damage if you can outpace your enemies, too, so that’s a win-win for every movement upgrade you invest in.

Backtrack At The Right Moments

While we’re on the subject of movement, backtracking as soon as you get a new tool is a reliable way to ensure you’re not missing out on awesome loot for more upgrade materials from harder-to-reach or previously inaccessible areas that you’re going to find as you keep exploring.

Try to make a mental note of where you find locked gates or places blocked off by out-of-reach switches or brambles, for which the sling and fire are appropriate ways to tackle them, respectively. Come back to them when you get the means to deal with the obstacle at hand, and you’re going to find even more options to improve traversal, using upgrade hubs, meaning that each run is improving your power.

Play To Your Strengths But Cover Your Weaknesses

All of us approach combat differently, and the true warrior knows their strengths while being humble enough to admit their weaknesses. Of course, your enemies don’t need to know that, and using your spear and shield attachments to cater to your specific playstyle is going to have your foes wondering how you’re able to dispatch them so easily. If they’re capable of thought, that is.

Since attachments have their own upgrade trees, use one to play to your strengths and the other to cover a weakness. Don’t like crowds? Ensure that you’re adding ways to manage them easily. Do you like to strike from a safe distance instead of getting close and personal? Try to extend the range of your spear or add a few ranged attacks into the mix.

Get your attachments and skills to work in tandem, and you’re going to be a force to be reckoned with on the field.

Use The Battlefield To Your Advantage

The best fighters don’t just rely on their own weapons, but use the battlefield to its fullest. Kratos is no exception, and using any throwables in the environment to open a fight is a great way to get some free stun build-up before you even start sticking an enemy with the pointy end of a spear.

But try to keep a few of them handy to interrupt attacks or as a way to ensure you’re beginning your combo with a hit against foes that could spell trouble for you. Use the arena to its fullest, and your enemies will learn to rue the day they ever met you.

Practice Makes Perfect

The best Spartans are the ones who don’t neglect their training, and taking Kratos on farming runs from time to time ensures that you’re doing all you can to be prepared for the challenges ahead. But too much practice can leave you fatigued when you need your tired muscles the most.

To that end, easily repeatable runs that do not require you to stray far from your resting spots are the way to go. It also pays to keep a target in mind, such as your next skill node or an attachment tier for either your spear or shield. Hit it and continue on with your adventure, knowing that you have done all you can to be at your best for the challenges ahead.

Don’t Sleep On Optional Content

Speaking of being at your best, the optional gauntlets are a great way to chase down buffs that you can then use to gain a leg up at enemies. Go for one as soon as you hit a new attachment tier or gain an important skill, as you can use them to familiarize yourself with a new move or upgrade, or perhaps when you find that your farming runs aren’t quite cutting it.

This approach means that you’re always close to another upgrade, making your time with the game all the more efficient as a result.

And that’s all we have for you as you take on the adventures of a younger Kratos.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because the studio is a division of JJ Abrams’ production company of the same name. As for why it partnered with Sony Interactive Entertainment, CEO Anna Sweet said it will allow for bringing “our new IP to life, with an expansive vision for this new universe.”

“With the support of PlayStation, we hope to deliver a bold, innovative experience that is truly special for players. I could not be more excited that Mike Booth is at the creative helm, crafting a cooperative adventure that will lead to unforgettable moments with friends.”

Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Christian Svensson, VP and Head of 2P/3P Content Ventures & Strategic Initiatives, added, “We’re greatly impressed with the talent Bad Robot Games has assembled at their studio, and are thrilled to partner with them to help produce and publish their upcoming game.

“Their unique creative voice and passion for innovating across all forms of interactive entertainment perfectly align with SIE’s mission to craft experiences that resonate deeply with players. We can’t wait for gamers to step into the world they’ve been building.”

Of course, what this co-op shooter could be, from its premise to its gameplay mechanics, remains to be seen, but you can expect more details at a “later date.”

Booth is perhaps best known for Left 4 Dead’s AI Director, and after Turtle Rock Studios’ acquisition by Valve, he would go on to work at Blizzard, Facebook and Resolution Games (Demeo). He’s been at Bad Robot Games since December 2020 as its Chief Creative Officer.

With the deal announced so close to The Game Awards on December 11th, perhaps there could be an announcement? Time will tell, so stay tuned.

MLB The Show Mobile is a free-to-play title, and features all of the game modes you would expect from the franchise. This includes fast-paced game modes that were designed from the ground up to be played on mobile, complete with “the most authentic” licensed MLB and MLBPI baseball experiences.

Along with core baseball gameplay that feature “realistic skill-based controls” designed to be played on mobile, MLB The Show Mobile also allows players to form their own teams by collecting over 1,000 player cards. These cards can then be used to fill up your team’s various positions, and can even take advantage of certain on-field situations thanks to the Momentum system.

When it comes to the core gameplay, MLB The Show Mobile allows players to pull off impressive moves thanks to its skill-based controls that have been described as being “easy to learn, but challenging to master.” This includes the ability to hit an entire grand slam and then striking out the side to get the perfect double play. Runners waiting at bases can also be triggered to manually start running to capture more bases manually thanks to the “Risk It” feature.

On the team-building side of things, the title features true-to-life mobile versions of the most popular athletes from the MLB, with the realism being further boosted thanks to the existence of more than 16,000 unique animations. Along with this, all 30 real-world MLB stadiums are available to play in.

The Momentum system essentially starts things off with each player card having an associated cost. Innings start players out with 10 Momentum, which can then be spent over the course of the match. To maintain Momentum, players will have to successful hit against skilled pitchers and score points. Running out of Momentum means that the team’s power levels will drop down.

Teams can also grow over the course of a series of games, since each player in your team can also get XP, which can then be used to upgrade the player to give them various attribute bonuses. Player cards can also be bought and sold directly through the Marketplace, enabling an entire in-game economy with other real-world players.

It is worth noting that, while it shares the MLB The Show name with the rest of the franchise, the title is a standalone one. This means that it can’t really connect with the mainline console releases in any meaningful way, and this also means that there is no option for cross-platform multiplayer.

In the meantime, San Diego Studio and Sony are getting ready to eventually release MLB The Show 26, which was officially announced just last month.

“Tencent remarkably contends [Sony Interactive Entertainment]’s claims are unripe because—despite having announced and continuously promoted its game for months—Tencent (purportedly) delayed Light of Motiram’s release until 2027 after SIE sued,” wrote Sony in its statement. “This is nonsense. The damage is done—and it continues. SIE has already suffered injury by Tencent promoting its knock-off game, as made clear by the many instances of actual consumer confusion documented in the Complaint that Tencent does not—and cannot—challenge in its motion. The Court can redress past, ongoing, and imminent infringement.”

Further in the document, the company also calls in to question Tencent’s claims that it shouldn’t fall under the jurisdiction of US-based courts, since Tencent Holdings is based out of the Cayman Islands. Sony noted that “this Court has jurisdiction over Tencent Holdings. The multi-billion dollar global conglomerate holds the U.S. trademark registration for the infringing game Light of Motiram and owns the domain registration for the official promotional website where much of the material giving rise tot he lawsuit was performed and distributed to a California and U.S. audience.”

Sony filed its lawsuit against Tencent in California back in July, accusing the company of stealing ideas from the Horizon franchise for upcoming title Light of Motiram. In its lawsuit, Sony called Tencent’s game a “slavish clone” of Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, and has alleged that the release of Light of Motiram will end up causing consumer confusion.

As part of its filing, Sony also revealed that Tencent had initially approached the company for a collaboration for a new game in the Horizon franchise last year, but that it had declined this. Shortly afterwards, Tencent unveiled Light of Motiram. The goal of the lawsuit for Sony is monetary damages up to an unspecified amount, along with a court order to prevent Tencent from infringing on the Horizon IP.

In response to this lawsuit, Tencent had released its own statement, calling the company out for its “improper attempt to fence off a well-trodden corner of popular culture”.

“Plaintiff Sony has sued a grab-bag of Tencent companies – and ten unnamed defendants – about the unreleased video game Light of Motiram, alleging that the game copies elements from Sony’s game Horizon Zero Dawn and its spinoffs,” said Tencent about the lawsuit. “At bottom, Sony’s effort is not aimed at fighting off piracy, plagiarism, or any genuine threat to intellectual property.”

Tencent also noted other games from throughout the industry that also look similar to the aesthetics presented in Light of Motiram, including Far Cry: Primal, Far Cry: New Dawn, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, among others.

To request a refund for a game or other digital purchase, PlayStation users have to log in to the PlayStation Store on the web or through the PS App. Upon doing so, they can access their transaction history through a menu on the top right of the screen. In the history, the user can then request for a refund of a digital purchase.

As you would expect, there are a few conditions for a digital purchase to be eligible for a refund. The game must have been bought in the last fourteen days. A purchase can also not be refunded if the game in question was downloaded. Sony does note that exceptions are made in the case of the product being “faulty”. The new refund policy also allows users to ask for refunds for DLCs.

As for in-game consumables that can be bought with real money, like GTA$ Cash Packs or other boosts, refunds can still be requested for the item if the game hasn’t yet been launched since the item was purchased. This is due to how these items are delivered to players on the moment of the game’s next launch. For example, if a player launches GTA 5 right after buying a Cash Pack, the Cash Pack will not be eligible for refunds. However, it will remain eligible for refunds between the purchase and the next launch of the game.

Pre-orders can be cancelled at any time before the release of the game or DLC in question to get a full refund. This means that pre-orders don’t have the 14 day requirement applied to them assuming the game isn’t yet out. When it comes to pre-loads, as long as the main part of a game hasn’t yet been downloaded, it will still be eligible for refunds. Doing so will also stop extra content from working. Sony also warns PS5 users that downloads on the PS5 start automatically as soon as possible if the Automatic Downloads setting has been enabled, and suggests users to disable the setting if they plan on refunding something.

It is worth noting that, while this new move does make requesting cancellations for errant purchases easier, it is still not as generous of a system as one offered by other online storefronts like Steam. The PC platform, for instance, allows players to get refunded for even downloaded titles assuming it hasn’t been played for more than two hours, and it still falls under the 14 day time limit. However, Sony likely precludes downloaded titles from refunds due to the fact that consoles can still play games even when offline. The decision was likely made to prevent bad actors from playing a downloaded title even after a refund has been processed by simply never going online on the console after the download.

The publication noted that Kojima sounded disappointed in the interview about the current state of the industry, especially because most AAA games released these days end up being too big and bloated. Kojima noted that, during last month’s Summer Games Fest, the barrage of back-to-back trailers made all games look like they somehow involved players fighting either an alien monster or a medieval monster.

“Even the visuals and the systems are pretty much the same,” he said, “and a lot of people enjoy this, I understand, but it is important to put something really new in there for the industry.”

In the interview, Kojima also spoke about the importance of game developers truly understanding the subject matter of the games they’re making. Recalling a story about advising a development team about a stealth game, Kojima said that he was disappointed that “People who are making military games, they probably don’t know how to dismantle a gun or shoot a gun.” He continued, “So that’s kind of sad.”

When asked if he knew how to dismantle a gun, Kojima emphatically responded by saying, “Yes, because I’ve been doing this training as well, and I learned so many ways to kill people as well.”

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was recently released exclusively on PS5. Leading up to its release, Kojima had revealed in an interview that he tends to add his own cameos into his games. “I put all of these things in,” responded Kojima (translation via Google). “Even if I said to the staff, ‘please put them in!’, they would just say ‘huh?’ and pretend not to know.”

Kojima had also spoken about how many people had come to Kojima Productions offices to get scanned and hopefully featured in the game. However, he mentioned that so many people had shown up for the scan that not every cameo could make it into the game. “We scan them, ask them what kind of role they would like, and make them appear… that’s how it feels,” he said.

With Death Stranding 2: On the Beach having been out for a month now, Kojima Productions had released infographics earlier this month to highlight some interesting statistics about how players spent time with the title. Among other things, the infographics revealed that kangaroos have been the most rescued animals in the game, followed by emus and wombats. The infographics also revealed that the Assault Rifle with MP Bullets was by far the most used weapon in the game, with the Ladder being the most used tool.

For more details about Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, check out our review. If you’ve already finished the game, here are some options for what you can do in the post-game sections.

As part of this update, the DualSense wireless controller and DualSense Edge wireless controller can be paired across different devices simultaneously, regardless if the device is a PS5, a smartphone, or even a Windows or Mac computer. This would essentially prevent DualSense users from needing to unpair their controller from their PC in order to use it with their PS5, for example.

“Many PS5 peripherals, including the DualSense wireless controller, are designed to support a variety of devices beyond PS5 including PC, Mac, and mobile devices,” wrote VP of product management at Sony Interactive Entertainment in the announcement. “We believe enabling compatibility of our peripherals across multiple platforms creates a more flexible and seamless gaming experience.”

Once the update is rolled out, users will be able to register up to four devices simultaneously to a controller. These devices can then be switched directly from the controller itself, allowing for a seamless transition from gaming on a PS5 to gaming on a PC. This feature can also be used in conjunction with Remote Play to stream PS5 titles on a PC without having to re-pair the controller.

Once a device has been paired with a DualSense controller, it will be registered to one out of four slots. These slots can then be switched through various combinations of the PS button and one of the face buttons. For example, slot 1 can be accessed through the PS button and the triangle button, while slot 2 can be accessed through the PS button and the circle button, and so on.

The controller itself will indicate which pairing slot is currently being used thanks to its player indicator lights. One light being on means the first slot is being used, while three lights would indicate slot 3 being in use.

Along with this, Sony has also revealed that it is working on a new feature that will bring a new Power Saver mode to the PS5 console for games. The feature is planned for a future update, and will allow supported games to run at lower power consumption levels. More details about the new Power Saver mode will be revealed at a later date.

While it can’t be used just yet, a preview of the Power Saver mode can be spotted in the settings menu. When the feature is finally out, it will essentially scale back the performance of supported games to reduce the overall power consumption of the PS5. It is worth noting that games have to support this feature for it to work; unsupported games will not have their power scaled back, and as a result, will not suffer from any performance penalties.

More details about the list of compatible games, as well as when the update is slated for release, will be revealed later.

The art style in the design’s depiction of Ezo is based on a Japanese art form known as kintsugi. The art form revolves around creating imagery out of repairing broken ceramics by using gold and lacquer. As Sony’s description of the design says, “The design captures the essence and aesthetic of kintsugi, symbolizing beauty in imperfection and mirroring Atsu’s own personal journey of healing and resilience amidst the adversities she’ll face along the way.”

The other side of the console sports a special maker’s seal that has been engraved with the PlayStation’s iconic shapes.

The limited edition releases also come with matching controllers with the same colours. The design on the DualSense controllers features thick brush strokes all over their front, with a silhouette of protagonist Atsu present on the touchpad.

“Our inspiration for this design came straight from one of the core aspects within the game: a deep focus on exploration,” said Ghost of Yōtei creative director Jason Connell about the special edition consoles. “This includes the hand-drawn icons Atsu marks on her map, a kintsugi-style effect pulled from her Ghost mask, and brushstrokes reminiscent of her Sumi-e paintings. The towering Mount Yōtei is included at the center of the console design to pull it all together, and Atsu is spotlighted on the DualSense controller. Each of these elements were thoughtfully woven into both the console and controller designs.”

The limited editions for both colourways are available in the form of a regular PS5 as well as the PS5 Digital Edition. The console will also come with a digital copy of Ghost of Yōtei, along with all the pre-order content for the game, along with some digital goodies, like a unique in-game mask, and seven PSN avatars based on concept art of Atsu and the members of the Yōtei Six.

For Ghost of Yōtei fans that already own a PS5, Sony has also confirmed that Console Covers featuring the artwork for both the slim model PS5 as well as the PS5 Pro will be available to buy directly from PlayStation Direct. However, the company has noted that these will only be available in limited quantities. The limited edition DualSense controller can also be bought separately. For a nicer look at these Ghost of Yōtei limited edition consoles, controllers and console covers, check out the gallery below.

In the meantime, also check out our coverage of the Ghost of Yōtei State of Play, with new details revealed, like the ability for players to disarm enemies and swap weapons on the fly.

In an interview with Game File, Maguire spoke about high engagement rates for PlayStation Plus, revealing that the more expensive tears of the service – Premium and Extra – have been seeing more and more players sign up. “Engagement in Plus has never been higher than it is right now,” said Maguire.

While PlayStation Plus as a service had originally existed even in the PS3 days, it only started becoming necessary for online multiplayer with the release of the PS4. At the time, the subscription service also rewarded players with free games that they could add to their libraries. The current form of the service with its different tiers was introduced back in 2022, and Maguire has noted that this rework “surpassed our expectations”.

“It’s really given us a new way to reach the audiences with these games, and it’s given new value to partners to find new people to play their titles,” he said. “And just the engagement we see from it is really positive, in terms of the number of people choosing that Catalog and coming back month after month.”

Maguire also noted that, while Sony is continuing to reinvest into the service to attract new subscribers by adding in additional features – like game streaming on PlayStation Portal – he also notes that the company still isn’t keen on releasing its first-party titles on to the service on release. Rather, Sony wants to stick to its current strategy of bringing in three or four third-party (often indie) titles to PS Plus, and bolstering the catalogue with an older PS5 title.

“Our strategy of finding four or five independent day-and-date titles—and using that to complement our strategy of bringing games in when they’re 12, 18 months old or older—that balance for us is working really well across the platform,” Maguire said.

When it comes to the availability of classic PlayStation games from previous console generations through PS Plus, Maguire also spoke about the difficulty in bringing in PS3 games, since the unique hardware of the console means that its games can’t natively run on PS5 hardware. Rather, PS3 titles are often available through cloud streaming.

“Through streaming, we’ll still continue to look at those ones,” noted Maguire about PS3 games. “We haven’t ruled them out. The opportunities are there. But there are a lot of PS3 games already streaming.”

Ultimately, Maguire notes that, despite some negativity in the comments for PlayStation Plus game announcements, the company plans to continue investing in the service.

“I think we’ll continue to listen and learn about what gamers want and try to bring more value in for them,” he said. “We’re very proud of what we’ve delivered in the last few year. And excited to sort of see the response and the engagement we get from players coming in.”