Crime sprees, perilous mountain climbs, fantastical battles, and questionable delivery skills await with PlayStation Now’s November lineup. Mafia: Definitive Edition, Celeste, Final Fantasy IX and Totally Reliable Delivery Service all await subscribers starting tomorrow, Tuesday, November 2. 

Let’s take a closer look at each. 

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Mafia: Definitive Edition

The Definitive Edition faithfully recreates the organised crime epic with expanded story plus gameplay and visual improvements. Rise through the ranks of the Mafia during the Prohibition era, experiencing a faithfully recreated 1930’s cityscape, filled with interwar architecture, cars and culture. After a run-in with the mob, cab driver Tommy Angelo is thrust into a deadly underworld. Initially uneasy about falling in with the Salieri crime family, Tommy soon finds that the rewards are too big to ignore.

Mafia: Definitive Edition is available on PlayStation Now until Monday February 28.  

Totally Reliable Delivery Service

Buckle up your back brace and fire up the delivery truck, it’s time to deliver! Go it alone to ensure the safety of your deliveries, or join your friends and put your teamwork to the test and haphazardly get the job done in an interactive sandbox world. Unpredictable ragdoll physics meets snappy platforming. Sprint, leap, dive, and grapple with ease, but collide with something and you’ll be knocked out cold! Want to take a break from deliveries? Then play around. The world is chock full of toys, vehicles, and machines that can be used for work or play.

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Welcome back! We’re live with another Players’ Choice poll as we inch ever-closer to the end of 2021… but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

We’ve got quite the selection this time — I’m torn between a few picks myself, but I dare not skew the results so you’ll just have to guess which ones I’m deliberating over.

Hit the poll below to cast your vote, then head down to the comments to make an argument for your title of choice. Maybe you’ll help me make my final decision! We’ll keep the polls live until Sunday night at 11:59pm Pacific, so make sure you decide before then. See you next week with the winner!

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. Soon thereafter, we’ll close the polls, tally your votes, and announce the winner at PlayStation.Blog. PlayStation Store will also showcase some top Players’ Choice winners throughout the year.

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? In keeping with our long tradition in the Game of the Year Awards, remastered or re-released games won’t qualify. Ambitious, larger-scale rebuilds and remakes like Demon’s Souls and Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy will.

How are nominees decided? The PlayStation.Blog and PlayStation Store editorial teams will gather a list of that month’s most noteworthy releases and use it to seed the poll. Write-in votes will be accepted.

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google or RSS, or download here

Hey folks! This week the team dives into our favorite reveals and updates from the latest State of Play.

Stuff We Talked About

• Call of Duty: Vanguard
• Horizon Forbidden West
• Beat Saber
• Returnal
• Deathloop
• State of Play!
• Diablo 2
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Alan Wake: Remastered
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Back 4 Blood
• The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes

The Cast

Tim Turi –  Manager, Content Communications, SIE

Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE

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Attention all PlayStation players, it’s time to rise on every front, as Call of Duty: Vanguard is nearly here! Starting November 5 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 experience an epic, international Campaign, signature Call of Duty Multiplayer combat, and a franchise-first Zombies crossover marking the continuation of the Dark Aether saga.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is packed to the brim with content at launch: live through the heroic moments of Task Force One in the awe-inspiring single-player campaign, experience 20 maps in Multiplayer (including 16 built for core gameplay) and the all-new Champion Hill mode, and battle the undead hordes in a franchise first crossover Zombies experience, as the Dark Aether storyline continues in Der Anfang.

Yet, November 5 is only the beginning for Vanguard. Players can expect the content to keep rolling.

Read on for details on the content arriving on the road to Season One, and find out about the brand-new map coming with Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific — Caldera.  Also, just announced, Vanguard owners will get the opportunity to have 24 hours of exclusive first play access to Caldera starting on December 2.

With that, let’s take a look at what’s arriving shortly after launch.

Shipment launches free in November

Vanguard’s content drop continues after launch in the days leading up to Season One.

Headlining that batch of free content is Shipment, the classic frenetic Multiplayer experience re-fitted for Vanguard, scheduled for a November 17 arrival. Newcomers and veterans alike can ready up for a fresh take on the map that’s entertained Call of Duty fans for over a decade.

Deploy to Caldera in Warzone Pacific

Lush forests and rocky crags. White sand beaches and mysterious ruins. A dormant volcano towering over 200-plus points of interest. The new map Caldera is just the beginning of Vanguard’s full integration into Warzone. Roughly the size of Verdansk, Caldera’s design is informed by two years of research and community feedback.

Available to all players in Season One, the Vanguard Royale mode – and later, the Vanguard Plunder mode – showcase all new content from the Season One update onwards, including weaponry and vehicles like biplanes and AA trucks.

All your Operators, Calling Cards, and more from Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare will remain in Warzone Pacific.

As mentioned above, Caldera launches with 24-hour exclusive first play access for Vanguard owners on December 2 at 9:00 AM PT.  Then, it launches for all players on December 3 at 9:00 AM PT. 

Uncover Caldera’s history in the Secrets of the Pacific event

To get players ready for the new map coming with the launch of Warzone Pacific, starting November 24 in Warzone, discover more about Caldera in the Secrets of the Pacific. This limited-time event grants vital information on Caldera and its various points of interest across Vanguard and Warzone. Each game will feature its own set of tasks and rewards.

Last week, we asked you to take a walk on the spooky side and share some scary gaming moments using #PSshare #PSBlog. Just in time for Halloween, here are this week’s scary highlights: 

BarryPaust encounters a terrifying mold monster in Control.

CaliOcelot shares a haunting freaker in Days Gone.

Yuric83 shares a BB in some moody red lighting in Death’s Stranding.

Lunar9p has a terrifying face off in The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope.

Alien_K121 shares a spooky hallway from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.

NoomiPlay shares the adorable Rot having a darker moment in Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

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: Returnal – Photo Mode
SUBMIT BY: Wednesday 9 AM PT on November 3

Next week, we’re looping back to the alien world of Returnal. Share epic moments with the newly released Photo Mode using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

As someone who worked on the original Final Fantasy VIII as Director, it’s been quite the nostalgia trip to think about the game again – particularly since the PlayStation team asked me to share some recollections of the game’s development.

By the time we started work on Final Fantasy VIII, the gameplay of RPGs was very well-established. Players were used to strengthening characters by defeating monsters, earning money and EXP, levelling up and buying equipment – we felt that both developers and users were growing a little tired of the traditional format.

With Final Fantasy VIII, we wanted to try new things in the RPG genre – explore new mechanics as well as improve on aspects of our previous work. 

Here’s the story of how it all came together.

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Blurring the line between CG and gameplay

One area in which we innovated was the implementation of CG cutscenes. 

We used 3D CG scenes for the first time in Final Fantasy VII – I wrote about this at PlayStation Blog earlier this year. While I’m proud of what we were able to achieve, that game represented something of a transition period for us in how we used the technology. We wanted to fuse game scenes and cutscenes together, but the implementation wasn’t exactly how we wanted it.

There were parts of Final Fantasy VII where the cutscenes and real-time polygon characters looked out of place – for example, there were inconsistencies in the character proportions and polygon quality between scenes.

We worked very hard on improving this for Final Fantasy VIII. The game features multiple moments where you are able to move around the scene while the CG cutscene played, and we were able to get to a place where these in-game models appeared more naturally within these moments.

Part of the reason for this was experience. We created a CG production team for Final Fantasy VII and attempted to merge it with the conventional game team. Final Fantasy VIII was the second game we made with that team structure, and our proficiency had definitely improved. 

The team also understood that our ambition of blending gameplay and cutscenes meant that the new game’s scenes needed to be higher quality than before. The team pulled together to make that happen and that unity was reflected in the final product.

Knockout City, from the beginning, has always been a wild, competitive, and social online multiplayer dodgeball game. That’s not a formula the games industry has seen before, and the team at Velan Studios has been laser-focused on bringing players new types of gameplay that they’ve never seen before. From giving players special powers in the Superpowers! Playlist during season two, to putting a special brawler’s spin on throwing balls through hoops with Basketbrawl earlier this season, to the entire concept of a timing-based competitive multiplayer dodgeball game, we’re definitely not afraid to tread new ground.

But sometimes taking a fresh game and adding something familiar makes for a perfect combination too, and that’s why we’re excited to announce the next event coming to Knockout City on November 2: Royale Rumble. November 2 is also the day Knockout City will be available to PlayStation Plus members as part of the monthly game lineup.

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Royale Rumble’s main focus is the limited-time Playlist, KO Royale. This mode puts eight players into a free-for-all, complete with a closing Danger Zone. Unlike our other FFA Playlists, KO Royale doesn’t have players respawning immediately after getting KO’d. Instead, you’ll spectate to the end of the Danger Zone to see who comes out on top. Be the last brawler standing to earn a crown. Earn two crowns to win the match. Sounds simple, but when you’re facing off seven other crown-hungry brawlers, landing that final KO with a closing Danger Zone at your heels can be a tough proposition. Are you up to the task?

As with all of our events, there’s a selection of Contracts to complete, each rewarding Holobux. Finish all of ‘em to net yourself 1500 Holobux, which is more than enough to snag this season’s Brawl Pass if you’re joining us partway through the season.

Also in Royale Rumble, there’s a whole wardrobe full of items for customizing your brawler available in the first-ever Brawl Shop sale. Not only are the prices discounted, but we’ve also brought back some limited-time items that have been locked up tight in the Bank of Knockout City’s vault ever since their events ended. The custom legendary outfits from Heatwave and Knockout City Heroes are making their first reappearance since the events ended. Don’t miss this chance to pick them up for a reduced price before they’re gone forever (again).

Royale Rumble will be sticking around until November 16 when we’ll be switching over to our next event with yet another brand new game mode that completely

It’s a bumper PlayStation Plus lineup this November, with six titles in total available to add to your game library starting Tuesday, November 2. Partake in an epic dodgeball tournament with Knockout City, play sleuth and spot imposters in social deduction game First Class Trouble, then wield weapons and battle monsters in the fantasy world of Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning.

And to celebrate PS VR’s 5th anniversary, this month’s PlayStation Plus lineup will include three bonus PS VR titles. Survive the horrors aboard a procedurally generated spaceship in The Persistence, tackle zombies in The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners and showcase your sword skills in roguelike Until You Fall.

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Knockout City | PS5 & PS4

Team up and duke it out with rival crews in style as you settle the score with epic dodgeball battles online*. Brace yourself for outrageous fun and intense competition in an all-new take on team-based multiplayer games. Customize your character and form a crew with friends to start your Knockout City takeover. Knock out opponents with trick shots and coordinated teamwork while dodging and catching balls flying across the map. No ball? No problem! You can literally ball up, roll into a teammate’s hands, and become the ultimate weapon.

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First Class Trouble** | PS5 &PS4

First Class Trouble is a social deduction party game where six people play together online* aboard a luxury space cruiser. At the start of each game, four players will be randomly selected to be Residents,

The season of haunting and hunting is upon us with October in full swing. This makes it a perfect time to jump into the jungle and deliver some scares to the Fireteam or turn the tables and hunt the hunter. We are excited to introduce our newest Predator to the lineup for October’s paid DLC, the Exiled Predator. And for those Predators out there who want to mask up for Halloween we have three new masks making their way into the free update just in time for the night of haunting…or hunting.

This month’s paid DLC introduces the Exiled Predator to the universe. It’s unknown when or how this Predator was exiled, but it was clearly able to adapt and hunt undetected in the far reaches of Yautja territory. While avoiding common hunting grounds, this Yautja was able to hunt legendary warriors on chains of the Pacific Islands. The Exiled Predator carefully interpreted and crafted armor from local raw materials out of a deep respect for these warriors. In addition, players will gain access to the Hook weapon, which is an early access weapon skin that will be unlockable to all players by December 2021.

October’s free update does not disappoint with ways to scare and scare yourself. Night maps have made their way into the game with this update. Get ready for all the jump scares! Night maps present a new way to play the game that has already produced plenty of exciting, very intense hunting experiences during our internal playtests. The Fireteam must now navigate through dark jungles and light-filled camps to complete their missions. To help visibility in the night maps, the Fireteam will be able to toggle Night Vision when needed. The Predator can now use the cover of darkness to stalk their prey, so make sure you don’t get your biomask knocked off by the Fireteam. As mentioned earlier, not only will the Predator have the darkness for the hunt, but also three new masks with this update. Newest masks to join the Predator “closet” are Salamander, Mors, and Foxtrot masks. In addition, this update brings the Cleopatra smart disc weapon skin to all players with it unlocking at level 27.

Everyone at IllFonic is excited to see how the community’s hunting styles change under the cover of night in the jungle. Keep those videos and screenshots rolling in on all the social platforms, we love to see them! In the meantime, we will see you in the jungle!

We’re pleased to announce Seize the Throne, an exciting new community challenge that draws inspiration from our new global brand spot. Our aim is to spotlight the power of play, which unites us through unforgettable moments and bold new experiences.

This special event calls on players to join together in a chess-themed celebration.* By playing together to complete three Stages of Community Goals, players can reach the King’s Tower, access the Inner Chambers, and breach the Throne Room — earning exclusive PSN avatars and a one-of-a-kind PS4 theme along the way.**

Eligible players from participating countries will also compete to win grand prizes by testing their PlayStation knowledge in a series of challenging trivia questions. Available grand prizes include a PlayStation 5 console, the King’s PlayStation Shapes Ring Set, and a bundle featuring a Pulse 3D Wireless Headset as well as a PlayStation Store digital gift card ($100 USD or equivalent provided in local currency).*** 

Registrations begin now and will remain open until the end of Stage Two. The first part of the competition ends when the community completes all three Stages to seize the throne, or until November 16th (whichever comes first). Here are the steps to participate:

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1. Sign Up 

Register with your PSN Sign-In ID here. Once signed up, players will be automatically entered into all future Stages of the program and the question round.

The event is open to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 users in the following locations: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States. Please note: players from Brazil, Italy and Japan cannot take part in the question round of Seize the Throne.

2. Start Playing!

There are three Stages throughout the event, with the first Stage kicking off on November 2. Each Stage will require players to complete the following activities to earn points and achieve the Community Goal for each Stage:

• Play PS4/PS5 games — Every PS4/PS5 game that each player plays for at least an hour (across as many sessions as