Bloodborne

Bloodborne (ブラッドボーン Buraddobōn) is a 2015 action-adventure video game directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, developed by From Software, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation 4.The game was announced at Sony's Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014 media briefing on June 9, 2014, where a trailer was shown, and was released worldwide in March 2015, to critical acclaim.

Gameplay

Bloodborne features action role-playing elements similar to those found in director Miyazaki's other games Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. Combat is fast paced and requires an offensive approach in order for players to combat dense hordes of enemies. The player character is agile and is able to perform sweeping dashes around enemies while locked on. The new risk versus reward style of gameplay is emphasized through Bloodborne '​s health regain system, which allows the player to, within a small window of time, recover portions of lost health by striking back at the player's attacker.

Melee weapons can transform into two alternate states; each state encourages a different approach to combat. The cleaver, for example, in its initial state can be used to quickly dispatch enemies in cramped areas, but when transformed into its secondary state it becomes an extended blade more suited for crowd control. The player can also wield a firearm in their left hand that can be used to stun enemies, which can then be followed up with a critical attack from the player's melee weapon.

Plot

The game takes place in the gothic, ruined city of Yharnam which is rumored to house a potent medical remedy. Over the years, many travelers make pilgrimages to the city seeking the remedy to cure their afflictions; the player takes the role as one of these travelers. Upon arriving in the city, however, it is discovered that the city is plagued with an endemic illness that has transformed most of its citizens into bestial creatures. The player must navigate the streets of Yharnam and overcome its violently deranged inhabitants and horrifying monsters in order to survive.

Development

 Development of Bloodborne began as development was being completed on the Prepare to Die edition of Dark Souls, released in August 2012. Sony approached From Software concerning cooperative development on a title, and director Hidetaka Miyazaki asked about the possibility of developing a game for eighth-generation consoles. The concept of Bloodborne developed from there. There were no connections to From Software's previous titles, even though Miyazaki conceded that it "carries the DNA of Demon's Souls and its very specific level design.^" Development ran parallel to that of Dark Souls II.The game's Victorian Gothic setting was partly inspired by the Victorian Gothic novel Dracula. Miyazaki had wanted to create a game set in such an era, but as he wanted everything to be as detailed as possible, such a game was only possible on eighth-generation hardware. This need for high-end hardware, and the fact that the PlayStation 4 was presented to the company first, was the reason the game was a PS4 exclusive, rather than a cross-generation release. Story details were more plentiful than in the Soulsgames, though the team created a larger mystery at the heart of the story to compensate for this. The team did not want to raise the difficulty level higher than their previous games as they felt it would make the game "pretty much unplayable for anyone." To balance this out, the team created a more aggressive combat system focusing on both action and strategy. They also wanted to alter the penalties for death used in the Souls games as they did not want the game to be classified as being for hardcore gamers. One of the more difficult decisions the team faced was the introduction of guns as weapons. Because it would fit well into the game's setting, and that it would consequently be less accurate than modern models, the gun was eventually included. Armour was also not included as it would clash with the game's setting. Their target framerate for the title was 30 frames per second, due to their design choices made for the title

Release

In January 2015, Bloodborne became Game Informer '​s readers' most anticipated game of 2015.

A limited collector's edition was launched with the game. It included a steelbook case, a hard cover art book, and a digital copy of the game's soundtrack. A European exclusive Nightmare Edition was also released, and included physical items such as a quill and ink set, as well as all the items in the collector's edition. An Asian edition included a Kirkhammer letter opener, and also has an available PlayStation 4 bundle.

A song was recorded by the Hit House featuring Ruby Friedman for a trailer and TV spot of the game, titled Hunt You Down, written by Scott Miller and William Hunt, and recorded by Wyn Davis in Los Angeles and at Word of Mouth Recording Studios in New Orleans.

Reception

Bloodborne received critical acclaim upon release. It holds an aggregated score of 91.75% on GameRankings based on 30 reviews and 93/100 on Metacritic based on 41 reviews.The game's atmosphere, plot, music, presentation, game play, and overall direction were all praised. One of the main criticisms was based on the long load times, however From Software has announced that they are working on a patch to deal with the issue.

 

Helldivers

Helldivers is a top-down shooter game developed by Arrowhead Game Studios. The game was released for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.

Gameplay

      In Helldivers, the player need to learn to coordinate their actions during chaotic combat game play, to succeed in combat and to avoid friendly fire casualties. The game is set in a procedurally generated universe where the community must fight three different enemy species to ensure the survival of fictional Super Earth. Gameplay takes place on one of several procedurally-generated open world missions where players must accomplish a series of objectives. The players are required to make their own decisions, where to deploy, in what order objectives should be completed and when to call down certain pieces of equipment, referred to as stratagems within the game. Before missions the players select from a wide variety of weapons, perks and stratagems to accomplish their objectives.
When the game was shown during Gamescom 2013 the game's difficulty included three levels: Challenging, Hard, or "Hell Dive". The build presented at E3 2014 and Gamescom 2014 however indicated there to be more than nine difficulties, depending on which planet the player chose.

Multiplayer

        As with Arrowhead Game Studios's previous title "Magicka" friendly fire, the ability to harm teammates, is always on and there is no way to disable the feature. This requires the players to carefully plan their actions during the games many chaotic combat sequences.
Players on the PS4 can play with PS3 and PS Vita users, vice versa.

Plot

          The dystopian universe of Helldivers has mankind ruled by a 'managed democracy', an improvement of contemporary democracy where the outcome of elections are more predictable. The improved democracy has become more than a way of electing a government, it has become a creed by which the brainwashed inhabitants of Super Earth fight for - without fully acknowledging what it means.
Super Earth, the fictional futuristic Earth is beset on all sides by three hostile enemy races that, according to the government, in one way or another needs to be subdued. And while the Helldivers are a pure combat unit, they are often tasked with retrieving technology, activating oil-pumps or other activity that is deemed important by the government to preserve freedom and the 'way of life'.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

             Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is an upcoming action-adventure third-person shooter platform video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Naughty Dog exclusively for the PlayStation 4. Initially teased at Spike TV's PS4 launch event on November 14, 2013, a full in-engine trailer confirmed the title during Sony's E3 2014 press conference on June 9, 2014. The game is set to release in either the first or second quarter of 2016.

Plot

          Set three years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Nathan Drake, now retired as a fortune hunter, has settled into a normal life. His world is turned upside-down when his older brother Sam, long believed dead, suddenly appears seeking Drake's help. Together they embark on a globe-trotting journey in pursuit of a conspiracy behind a long lost pirate colony and its fabled pirate treasure. Naughty Dog outlined the game's plot as "his greatest adventure yet and will test his physical limits, his resolve, and ultimately what he's willing to sacrifice to save the ones he loves."

Developement

         On November 14, 2013, Naughty Dog released a teaser trailer of the next Uncharted saying that it will be coming exclusively on the PlayStation 4. The trailer featured voice over by Todd Stashwick, who was to play Sam, Nathan Drake's older brother, in the game. The trailer shows an ancient map of the African continent while the voice over can be heard. The map stops at Madagascar and Île Sainte-Marie is marked, which was part of Francis Drake's travel route. A Latin sentence is written next to the drawing of a skull: " Hodie mecum eris in paradiso "(which translates to "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise"), a quote from Luke 23:43.
In March 2014, it was announced that Amy Hennig, the series writer and creative director, and Justin Richmond, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End game director at the time, had both left the studio, joining Visceral Games and Riot Games, respectively. In April 2014, Todd Stashwick, who voiced the narrator in the teaser trailer and was set to play Sam in the game, was announced to no longer be involved in the game, with the role being recast
     On December 6, 2014, a gameplay demo of Uncharted 4 was shown as the initial presentation of the PlayStation Experience. Troy Baker later confirmed via Twitter that he had voiced Drake's older brother Sam, who appeared in the demo opposite Nathan Drake.