Assassin’s Creed Shadows is just two weeks away and in anticipation of its March 20 launch on PS5, we’ve released 20 minutes of new gameplay showing Naoe and Yasuke infiltrating Nijo Palace, the castle complex (also known as a tenshu) in Kyoto, a major city in the larger region of Yamashiro.

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Castles in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are strongholds, filled with hostile guards, valuable resources, and one precious loot chest. Conquering a tenshu means eliminating any Samurai Daisho on the premises, which unlocks the loot chest, giving you powerful gear. You can see the contents of these chests when you hover over the castle icon in the map. 

Castles are just one of many activities in Assassin’s Creed Shadows that you can complete to increase your Knowledge Rank, which gives you access to higher level abilities and upgrades. Completing them will also earn you experience and mastery points, which you can use to directly upgrade Naoe and Yasuke’s abilities. Additionally, Castles are full of resources that you can claim for your hideout. Smaller resource bundles can be picked up manually, while larger stockpiles can be tagged by Naoe and Yasuke to be picked up and delivered to your hideout by scouts at the changing of the seasons.

With Season 2 kicking off and the start of the Tekken World Tour right around the corner, 2025 looks like it’s going to be another amazing year for fans of Bandai Namco’s legendary Tekken series. As one of the earliest fighting games on the original PlayStation, Tekken has a unique link to the consoles, with the series evolving its gameplay and narrative alongside the platforms. Let’s take a look back at the saga of the Mishima family and all the havoc they’ve caused throughout the years for PlayStation players.

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Bloodline beginnings

The original Tekken was one of the first fighting games to debut on the original PlayStation, launching in early 1995 in Japan and in fall elsewhere. Besides introducing the diabolical Mishima family and  establishing many of the series’ base mechanics, such as the four-attack-button control scheme, Tekken also set a new high watermark for future home  ports. Up until this point, players were used to home  ports of arcade games compromising for weaker hardware with downgraded visuals and sound and missing content. However, since Tekken’s arcade release was on advanced hardware very similar to the PlayStation, the port was arcade perfect. But Namco went the extra mile and added content not in the original: Ending movies, playable sub-boss characters, even a hidden unlockable character who would play a very big role in future games–that you’d need to master Galaga as the game loaded to discover.

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The birdman returns in the next-gen remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, coming to PS5 and PS4 on July 11. The legendary skateboarding series first launched on the original PlayStation in 1999, and the shred’s not dead. It’s back and better than ever.

Skate the original content rebuilt from the ground up joined by new skaters, parks, tricks, music, and more, including enhanced creation tools and New Game+ to keep the grind going.

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Here’s what’s coming down the halfpipe:

Prepare to shred

Skate through two challenge-filled tours in Career, chase high scores in Single Sessions and Speedruns, or take your time nailing tricks and exploring each park in Free Skate.

Bring your skate friends along, too. Cross-platform online multiplayer supports up to eight skaters at a time. Go head-to-head in competitive game modes or skate every surface together in multiplayer Free Skate. Whichever mode you play, the game’s smooth handling and simple-to-learn controls will have you grinding and landing tricks in no time.

Classic and new parks, New Game+

Skate the original parks from THPS3 and THPS4 remade in 4K resolution and given streamlined goals in the two-minute format along with some new parks to expand your skating options. Tackle dozens of challenges to earn in-game cash and unlock new gear including new skate decks, grip tapes, wheels for your board, and extra apparel for your skater.

Shred harder than ever in New Game+, retaining your skater’s stat growth achieved in the first playthrough as you work toward true mastery over each of the parks.

Waterpark

In the new Waterpark map, skaters drop into the Mojave Desert in an abandoned theme park that’s seen better days, its slides rusted, graffiti on the walls, and a drained-out lazy river… creating the perfect skate obstacle for circling the park. Skip the line and head straight to the top of several huge water slides, testing your grind balance and vert abilities on the way down. 

New skaters, tricks, songs

Hit up the park with new skaters joining the original lineup or create your

Over the years, many of you have participated in various beta programs across Sony Interactive, which has helped us deliver the best possible gaming experiences to gamers around the world. And we’re truly grateful for your participation.

That’s why I’m pleased to introduce the Beta Program at PlayStation initiative. It’s an easier, more consolidated way for gamers to sign up to participate in future PlayStation betas across a wide range of PlayStation experiences. 

The Beta Program at PlayStation will create an easy, centralized place for you to register your interest in a range of future PlayStation betas. A single registration for Beta Program at PlayStation will allow you to express interest in gaining beta access to test participating games for the PS5 console and PC, new PS5 console features, PlayStation App features, and even user experience features on PlayStation.com. You only need to sign up once to express interest in these various betas, and if you receive an invitation to a specific beta, it’s up to you to decide whether you’d like to participate or not.

Here are the requirements:

• Players must have a valid account for PlayStation Network in good standing with a current email address. Accounts with restrictions or violations may not be eligible for participation.
• Players must live in the region where Beta Program at PlayStation is available.
• Players must meet the legal age requirement for their region.

It’s free to join and registration will begin to open up globally starting today at playstation.com/beta-program-at-playstation/. Please check back later if the page is not yet available in your region. 

Additionally, while we try to include as many players as possible in our beta programs, sometimes we may get more interest than we can accommodate. By joining this program, it enables you to be considered for beta participation, but it doesn’t guarantee selection for a beta test. Just something to remember!

And again, a big thanks to those of you who have participated in all of the betas we’ve offered across Sony Interactive over the years. It’s about to get easier and more convenient. 

Last month was a time of love for video games. What game from last month’s lineup won over your heart? Some of the big new releases included Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. 

How does it work? At the end of every month, PlayStation Blog will open a poll where you can vote for the best new game released that month. After the polls close we will tally your votes, and announce the winner on our social channels and PlayStation.Blog. 

What is the voting criteria? That’s up to you! If you were only able to recommend one new release to a friend that month, which would it be? Note: re-released games don’t qualify, but remakes do. We define remakes as ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds such as Resident Evil 4 (2023) and Final Fantasy VII Remake.

How are nominees decided? The PlayStation Blog editorial team will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. 

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here

Hey, everybody! Sid, O’Dell, Kristen, and Brett discuss some of the newest releases, including Monster Hunter Wilds and Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1, and break down the official LEGO Horizon Adventures playset.

Stuff We Talked About

• Next week’s release highlights:
  • Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars | PS5, PS4
  • FragPunk | PS5
  • Split Fiction | PS5
  • Two Point Museum | PS5
  • War Robots: Frontiers | PS5, PS4
  • Eldrador Creatures: Shadowfall | PS5
    
• LEGO Horizon Adventures playset
• Gran Turismo 7 1.56 update
• Midnight Murder Club early access 
• Terminator 2D: No Fate reveal
• Monster Hunter Wilds post-launch roadmap
• India Hero Project Blog
  • Bloody Boots 
  • Lokko
• PlayStation Plus Monthly Games March
  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard
  • Sonic Colors: Ultimate
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
• Marvel Rivals
• Monster Hunter Wilds

The Cast

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Last week, we asked you to set sail and share swashbuckling moments as a pirate in the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

call_me_xavii shares leaping into the action in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

MrioMoreno5 shares a council of pirates in Return to Monkey Island.

JLunarTraveler steers the pirate ship in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

xenobitz shares a wrestler donning a Luffy/One Piece costume in WWE 2K24

doodlecep shares Astro Bot in a pirate outfit and Captain Pincher.

fsantos1697 shares the seafaring crew in Sea of Stars.

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 1
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on March 5, 2025 

Next week, we’re capturing 90s summer memories in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. Share unforgettable moments from Tape 1 using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

For those of you who have been waiting for the opportunity to jump into PlayStation VR2 and experience what this generation’s innovative virtual reality system has to offer, we are happy to share some great news! Starting in March, we’re reducing the suggested retail price (SRP) of PS VR2.

Below are the new PS VR2 prices. The starting date of the new prices and bundle availability may vary by country/region, so be sure to check your local retailer for details.

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PlayStation VR2

SGD 649 / MYR 2,099 / IDR 7,799,000 / THB 15,990 / PHP 24,990 / VND 12,999,000 suggested r

At Sony Interactive Entertainment, we are committed to fostering innovation and creativity in game development across the globe. As part of our continued effort to support emerging talent, we are thrilled to announce a new set of indie games from the India Hero Project, featuring two exciting and ambitious titles: Bloody Boots and Lokko, both coming to PS5. 

With these new titles the India Hero Project continues to shape the boundaries of storytelling, gameplay innovation, and artistic expression within the Indian gaming industry. Our goal is to not only support these developers in bringing their unique visions to life but also to help them reach a global audience on PlayStation. 

Bloody Boots | Developer: Weloadin

Bloody Boots is a high-voltage third-person action-adventure game set in Crank Town, a dystopian entertainment hub powered by junk-punk advancements in biotech. This town thrives on illegal gambling and savage acts that push the limits of morality with twisted and chaotic activities.  

Play as a fugitive teen trapped in Crank Town’s lawless mayhem. In a playground of ruthless mutants, mech-enhanced supervillains, and savage bosses. Fight to get your ticket out! 

Prepare for adrenaline-pumped action, in development for PS5 and PC. 

Lokko | Developer: Appy Monkeys

Lokko is a unique cross-platform 3D platformer where fun meets creativity. Players can create and share their custom characters, enemies, levels, and tracks using an intuitive in-game editor. The game features seamless integration with cross-platform features, allowing limitless play on PlayStation 5, PC, and iOS.  

Help Lokko defeat the evil Goobol corporation to deliver the world’s best pizzas. Challenge other players’ best runs, unleash your creativity, and leverage the power of DualSense on all three platforms. Players can trade their creations, compete against each other, and be the one who makes the most fun, unique, and creative level. Endless fun and possibilities await! 

Lokko is in development for PS5, PC and iOS.  

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Hunters, the time to start your expedition to the Forbidden Lands on PS5 is nearly here! To get ready for the hunt, we’ve got one more trailer to share, giving you a look at the game’s compelling narrative as well as revealing the new Monster Hunter Wilds rendition of “Proof of a Hero.”

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Monster Hunter Wilds aims to deliver a satisfying story campaign from start to finish that puts your hunter in the center of an ecological mystery, all set in the seemingly uncharted Forbidden Lands. As the lead hunter of the Expedition Team’s Avis Unit, you’ll unravel a mysterious quest full of danger, compelling characters, and a fully realized world brings you face to face with a long-forgotten threat. Your hunter, who’s fully voiced for the first time in the series, will perform heroic feats and hunt seemingly unstoppable monsters in the Guild’s quest to bring balance to an unstable ecosystem.

Whether you’re a newcomer looking for a new story adventure to experience or a Monster Hunter series veteran with many hunts under your belt, we hope you’ll enjoy the ride that Monster Hunter Wilds will take you on!

In case you missed it, have one more look at our launch trailer, which gives you a look at the exciting hunts on the horizon. It also shares a peek at the game’s first Free Title Update, which introduces the graceful leviathan Mizutsune to the Forbidden Lands.

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Each of the locales in Monster Hunter Wilds features a powerful apex predator th