Acclaimed VR puzzle adventure brings Renaissance Italy to life in stunning detail

Bratislava, Slovakia – January 30, 2025 – Blue Brain Games, creators of the acclaimed puzzle adventure series The House of Da Vinci, today announced that their critically celebrated VR adaptation is coming soon to PlayStation®VR2. Players can now add the game to their wishlist on the PlayStation Store to be notified when the Renaissance adventure becomes available. 

Following its successful launch on Meta Quest and Steam VR platforms, where it has been praised as “one of the best puzzle games on Quest,” The House of Da Vinci VR will bring its historically authentic world to PS VR2 players. As Leonardo da Vinci’s most promising apprentice, players will step into 16th-century Florence to unravel the mystery of their master’s sudden disappearance. 

“The PlayStation®VR2’s advanced features will allow players to experience the intricate details of Leonardo’s workshop with unprecedented immersion,” said Peter Kubek co-founder and Creative Director at Blue Brain Games. “Every mechanical puzzle and invention has been carefully optimised to take full advantage of the PS VR2’s enhanced haptic feedback and precise motion tracking.” 

Key Features:

• Touch and manipulate Da Vinci’s inventions with your own hands in an immersive recreation of Renaissance Italy
• Solve intricate mechanical puzzles and riddles inspired by Da Vinci’s actual designs and manuscripts
• Navigate through detailed workshop environments with intuitive controls
• Challenge yourself with historically-inspired war machines, complex lockboxes, and escape room scenarios
• Uncover hidden objects using unique detection abilities
• Manipulate time with a mysterious gauntlet to witness past events and unravel the story

Players can add The House of Da Vinci VR to their PlayStation Store Wishlist to stay informed about the upcoming release. Further details about pricing and launch date will be announced soon.

About Blue Brain Games

Blue Brain Games is an indie puzzle game studio from the heart of Europe. Our games focus on powerful storytelling and unique features to keep you, the player, having fun and coming back for more.

We strive to deliver incredible authenticity into every detail. With every new game, we aim for amazingly detailed and historically accurate storyline enhanced with our own layer of imagination. Our stories are built around real historical figures, who, even after several centuries, still have a strong aura of mystery around them: just like the great Nikola Tesla or Leonardo Da Vinci.

We’re masters of puzzles, brain twisters, baffling riddles and complex lockboxes hidden far beyond where any eye can see. We’re a really small team of dedicated people, determined to approach multi-platform games in a different way: we want to provide our players a game environment rich in details, we want to submerge them into an amazingly realistic atmosphere, we want to set your brain ablaze trying to solve complex puzzles and mechanisms.

This is hands-on virtual farming: Farming Simulator VR is coming soon to Meta Quest. The standalone game will launch on February 28^th and is available for pre-order today. Publisher and developer GIANTS Software shares an outlook with the Announcement Trailer.

• Farming Simulator VR is a brand-new farming experience
• Various field activities & crops to sow and harvest
• Greenhouse farming with more vegetables to choose from
• Real machines by renowned agricultural manufacturers
• Machine maintenance & repair in the workshop
• Additional satisfaction through power-washing   

Hands-on the wheel, eyes on the soil

Strapped into one of Meta’s virtual reality headsets, farmers cultivate their fields with profitable crops like corn, wheat & soybean. Of course, they operate authentic agricultural machinery from renowned manufacturers such as Case IH, CLAAS, Fendt, John Deere & others – directly from the detailed cabins of these powerful agricultural vehicles.

Looking at details, with an impact wrench in hand

Virtual farmers will not only hang out in the cab of their tractor or harvester, they will also get up close and personal with the machines during maintenance: Equipped with an electric impact wrench, they must regularly maintain their machines in the workshop, replace parts, and keep them squeaky-clean through the pleasure of power-washing them in the yard.

Grabbing vegetables in the greenhouse

In addition to farming in the fields, players can also grow various crops in greenhouses. Tomatoes, eggplant, strawberries, and other crops can be picked by hand and placed in crates to be sold.

Farming Simulator VR will be available on Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, and Meta Quest Pro on February 28^th.

About GIANTS Software

GIANTS Software is an international video game developer and publisher from Switzerland established in 2004 and known worldwide for creating the popular Farming Simulator series. The team with offices in Switzerland (Zurich), Germany (Erlangen), USA (Chicago) and Czech Republic (Brno) is very committed to maintain close contact to the agricultural industry and to engage with the community.

About Farming Simulator

Since 2008, over 40 million units of Farming Simulator have been sold worldwide. The game series has been released on all popular platforms including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs since then. From the start, the team enabled users to create mods with the company’s own GIANTS Engine. With the Farming Simulator League (FSL), the series introduced a competitive esports mode in 2019 – with teams competing in professional tournaments and many acclaimed brands and sponsors on board.

© 2025 Published and developed by GIANTS Software GmbH. Farming Simulator, GIANTS Software and its logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of GIANTS Software GmbH. All manufacturers, vehicles, machines, equipment, names, brands, and associated imagery featured in this game in some cases include trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their respective owners. The vehicles, machines, and equipment in this game may be different from the actual ones in shapes, colors, and performance. All other names, trademarks and logos are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Immerse yourself in a game that pushes the boundaries of animation!

Madrid, Spain – 30th January 2025 – Meridiem is pleased to announce that it will release a physical edition of Big Helmet Heroes, an epic 3D beat’em up featuring adorable knights and worlds filled with amazing situations. Developed by Exalted Studio and physically published by Meridiem, the physical Big Helmet Heroes – Exalted Edition will be available for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on 10th April 2025.

Meridiem is leading the design and manufacture of this exciting Big Helmet Heroes – Exalted Edition, which will be available from European specialist retail stores on 10th April 2025 and has created a superb edition worthy of any gamer’s collection! In addition to a full retail version of the game for either PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch, the physical edition will include a special case with new artwork, a couch-coop heroes sticker, and an art book.

Step into the world of Big Helmet Heroes, a cinematic 3D beat’em up adventure that combines stunning visuals, movie-quality animations, and exhilarating action. Join adorable knights on a quest across fantastical realms. Play with a friend in two-player co-op mode to rescue the princess and uncover even greater challenges ahead!

Immerse yourself in a game that pushes the boundaries of animation. Our state-of-the-art visuals breathe life into each hero and environment, making every battle spectacularly vivid. 

4 distinct combat styles

• The Warrior, skilled with both sword and shield balances attack and defence masterfully, a true asset on the battlefield. Strategic use of the shield complements the swordsmanship.
• Meet the Brute, a formidable presence with a massive two-handed weapon. The slower pace is offset by powerful strikes that can decisively shift the course of the battle.
• The Rogue, a master of stealth and speed, wields twin daggers to silently take down enemies. Rapid, stealthy attacks inflict a deadly force before the foes are even aware of the danger.
• The Monk, in tune with nature, combines aerial agility with fluid movements. Wielding a deceivably simple staff to create a dance of destruction is as effective as it is beautiful.

Watch the trailer for Big Helmet Heroes below:

Features

• Co-op Gameplay: Experience the joy of cooperative gameplay in local co-op mode. Tackle enemies together, strategize your next moves, or just enjoy the chaos of battling side by side with your friend.
• Expansive, Imaginative Worlds: Explore levels that push the boundaries of creativity, each more surprising and visually stunning than the last. The vibrant backdrops and intricate designs set the stage for unforgettable adventures.
• Unique Hero Powers: Each hero comes with their own special abilities that can demolish obstacles and enemies alike. These superpowers are not only unique but also visually explosive, adding an extra layer of excitement to your gameplay.

Big Helmet Heroes – Exalted Edition will be available in physical format for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on 10th April 2025. Pre-orders are available now, check local retailers for availability and pricing.

For more information, visit www.meridiem-games.com 

About Meridiem

We are Meridiem, a video game publisher and distributor in love with its culture, which we protect and pass on in order to preserve it. We do this by fostering talent through investment in independent projects with potential, bringing back classic titles, promising indies and AAA games while continuing to support the physical format.

About Exalted Studio

Nestled in the sunny South of France, our cosy studio is home to a passionate team of creators. At Exalted Studio, we blend skill with imagination to craft games that delight and inspire players worldwide. We’re not just a studio; we’re a small crew of about a dozen people, a family that loves to laugh, dream, and create together. Join us on this playful journey to make the world a bit more fun, one game at a time!

The dark fantasy strategy game enters the final stage before version 1.0 with new content and improvements

Hanover, Germany, 30th January 2025 – The turn-based, tactical strategy game Shields of Loyalty from Mosaic Mask Studio received an update to version 0.9 on January 29 – with improvements and new content.

On this occasion, Mosaic Mask Studio is also announcing that they are now working with publisher indie.io. Indie.io specialise primarily in working with indie developers.

In Shields of Loyalty players must free the once thriving land of Mantaria from the clutches of the ‘all-devouring void’. Players are in command of a variety of specialised units, which they send into action on a dynamic 2D map inspired by the classics of the genre. Quick strategic decisions must be made to defeat the invaders and restore peace to the troubled nation.

In line with the dark fantasy setting of the game, version 0.9 also introduces the magic system. Each faction has two types of units at its disposal that can cast different spells. Three new spells have been revealed: Bravery gives units +2 movement points, Willpower allows an additional attack or spell and Pain of the Righteous deals 40 Magical Damage.

Players can also enjoy a new playable faction: the Warlords come with 35 unique units and abilities. A mixture of barbarian-like and nature-bound units, their strength lies in infantry and magical units consisting of shamans and spirits of nature.

In addition to the new content, Shields of Loyalty has a new look: a completely revised user interface and new menu navigation give the strategy title a new design. The studio has also improved the game’s performance and fixed bugs.

About Mosaic Mask Studio

Mosaic Mask Studio is a small, independent development studio based in Hanover, Germany. The team’s vision is to create unprecedented worlds and bring the fun of turn-based strategy games to life in new ways. The studio has been developing games for more than a decade and has released titles such as Heaven’s Hope and Shields of Loyalty. Mosaic Mask is currently working on version 1.0 of Shields of Loyalty, a tactical fantasy strategy game that will be released in 2025.

Plan the ultimate heist, team up with talkative weaponry then jump and chomp through an island adventure with the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup for February! Payday 3, High on Life and Pac-Man World Re-Pac will be available to PlayStation Plus members from 4 February*.

Payday 3 | PS5 

Revel in the thrill of a perfectly planned and executed heist in this high-octane, co-op FPS experience for up to four players online. Step out of retirement back into the life of crime in the shoes of the Payday Gang, the envy of their peers and the nightmare of law-enforcement wherever they go. Several years after the crew’s reign of terror over Washington DC has ended, they assemble once again to deal with the threat that roused them out of early retirement.

High on Life | PS4, PS5 

Fresh out of high school with no job and no ambition, you’ve really got nothing going for you until an alien cartel that wants to get high off humanity invades Earth. Now, you and a team of charismatic talking guns must answer the hero’s call and become the deadliest intergalactic bounty hunter the cosmos has ever seen. Travel to a variety of biomes and locations across the cosmos, go up against the nefarious Garmantuous and his gang of goons, collect loot, meet unique characters, and more, in the latest comedy adventure from Squanch Games.

Pac-Man World Re-Pac | PS4, PS5 

In this 2004 remake of the original PlayStation platformer, with improved UI, fine-tuned mechanics and updated visuals, Pac-Man arrives home on his birthday to find the Ghosts have kidnapped Pac-Man’s family & friends and ruined his party. Off to the rescue, Pac-Man sets out to Ghost Island. Dodge Ghosts, solve environmental puzzles, rescue the Pac-Fam, and more in this platforming adventure. Play a collection of 3D mazes in Maze mode, clear Quest mode to unlock the original Pac-Man game in Original mode. 

All three games will be available to PlayStation Plus members on 4 February until 3 March.

Last chance to download January’s games

PlayStation Plus members have until 3 February to add Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered and The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe to their game library.

Update on PS4 Games for PlayStation Plus

As many players are currently playing on PS5 and have shifted toward redeeming and accessing PS5 titles from the Monthly Games and Game Catalogue benefit, PlayStation Plus is also evolving with this trend and will focus on offering PS5 titles through the Monthly Games and Game Catalogue benefit starting January 2026. As players shift to PS5, PS4 games will no longer be a key benefit and will only be occasionally offered for PlayStation Plus Monthly Games and Game Catalogue starting January 2026. Titles that can be playable on both PS4 and PS5 consoles after this date may still be provided.

Please note, this won’t affect the PS4 Monthly Games that players have already redeemed from PlayStation Plus. Players will continue to have access to games they’ve already redeemed as long as they remain a member. For Game Catalogue, PS4 games will still be available to play until they leave the catalogue as part of the monthly refresh.

SIE continues to evolve the experience of PlayStation Plus and optimise the benefits players receive, including exclusive discounts, online multiplayer access, online game save storage and more. As focus is shifted to PS5, PlayStation Australia is looking forward to adding new PS5 titles monthly for players to enjoy.

*PlayStation Plus Game Catalogue lineup may differ in certain regions. Please check the PlayStation Store on launch day for your region’s lineup.

To learn more about the full lineup, visit the PlayStation Blog. For the latest PlayStation news, follow PlayStation Australia on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. 

Digital Deluxe Edition and free 42-page prequel comic coming in March

NEW ZEALAND — Jan. 29, 2025 — Turbo Overkill, the critically acclaimed, hyper-fast-paced cyberpunk boomer shooter, arrives on consoles after securing more than 5,000 “overwhelmingly positive” Steam reviews and a Metacritic score of 87 on PC. The first-person shooter from the legendary genre pioneer at publisher Apogee Entertainment and developer Trigger Happy Interactive is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4|5, and Xbox Series X|S + Xbox One, with no prior release date announcement.

Carve a path through thousands of augmented cyberbeasts in three highly varied episodes. Take chainsaw-augmented protagonist Johnny Turbo into the vast city of Paradise, through slums and arenas, and ultimately hitch a rocket ride to an orbiting master station. Witness carnage speed, upgraded visuals and improved performance at 60 frames per second on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, or take the action on the go with the Nintendo Switch.

Turbo Overkill is the vision of Sam Prebble, a solo developer from New Zealand who single-handedly created the game’s design, mechanics, textures, models, animations, story, and its massive, intricately designed levels. His background includes working at the award-winning Wētā FX, the visual effects powerhouse behind The Lord of the Rings and Avatar, where he mastered advanced modeling techniques and world-building.

Scott Miller, CEO of Apogee Entertainment, praised Sam’s exceptional talent: “I’ve worked with the founders of Id Software, Remedy Entertainment, and talented developers on projects like Duke Nukem 3D, but I’ve never seen anyone like Sam. He built Turbo Overkill from the ground up, practically alone, and he did it with incredible speed and quality. He’s truly one of a kind.”

Johnny Turbo’s chainsaw leg and relentless combat style are Apogee’s modern answer to the anti-hero legacy they helped define in the ’90s with Duke Nukem. A sidequel companion game–that’s not a sequel–is already in development that further expands the ruthless nature of the Turbo Overkill universe.

Turbo Overkill’s eccentric cast features all-star voice talent, including Patricia Summersett, (The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom) bringing to life a key mid-game boss, as well as the rogue A.I, Syn. If one bad guy wasn’t enough, Gianni Matragrano (Ultrakill, Neon White) chimes in as the voice of bounty hunter nemesis, Maw, with legendary voice actor Jon St. John, (Duke Nukem, Duke Nukem 3D) voicing Johnny’s A.I. companion, SAMM.

Porting team Black Sheep Studio in Paris, France led the charge to ensure every detail met the highest standard. The result? Upgraded visuals, significantly improved performance, and a port building upon Turbo Overkill’s retro-meets-modern FPS experience that earned the distinction as one of Metacritic’s top 25-rated PC games in 2023. A new “Enhanced Visuals” mode will also come to the game’s PC version in lockstep with the newest console ports.

“Following Turbo Overkill’s successful launch on PC, we’ve been hard at work alongside our porting team Black Sheep Studio to bring the fast-paced, cyberpunk gun-slinging action to consoles,” said Sam Prebble, lead developer. “Fans of Turbo are going to be impressed by the console ports, and newcomers to the franchise will discover all of the game’s high-octane thrills.”

In addition to the Standard Edition, the Turbo Overkill Digital Deluxe Edition will launch in March, with a 140-page digital artbook with design, gameplay insights, and a soundtrack sampler featuring 35-minutes of pulse-pounding music from all three episodes. Players who buy the Standard Edition today will have the option to upgrade to the Digital Deluxe Edition for $4.99. For additional details on the Digital Deluxe Edition, visit the information page here.

Dive deeper into Johnny Turbo’s world in the all-new 42-page prequel comic featuring cover art from Eisner Award-Winning artist Dave Johnson (Superman: Red Son). The prequel comic will be available for FREE to the public, with a two-page excerpt available for preview here. 

Turbo Overkill arrives today for $19.99 with language options in English, Spanish (LATAM), German, French, Russian, Turkish, and Simplified Chinese. Clean up Paradise on Twitter by following @turbo_overkill and @Apogee_Ent, subscribe to the Apogee Entertainment YouTube channel, and join the Discord servers of both Trigger Happy Interactive and Apogee Entertainment.

About Trigger Happy Interactive

Founded by Sam Prebble, the lone developer of acclaimed, award-winning DOOM II conversion mod Total Chaos, Trigger Happy Interactive is a group of hardcore first-person shooter fans making games they want to play. Turbo Overkill is their debut release.

About Apogee Entertainment

Apogee Software’s legendary journey began in 1987, when Scott Miller decided to split his new game, Kingdom of Kroz, into three episodes, with the first episode available as free shareware. The “Apogee model” of distribution would revolutionize PC gaming and catapult Apogee Software to global renown. 

As the original indie publisher, Apogee (and its later incarnation, 3D Realms) would introduce the world to id Software, Remedy Entertainment, Parallax Software, and other video game superstars in the making. As a developer, Apogee would innovate and inspire in equal measure, creating treasured characters and franchises like Duke Nukem, Shadow Warrior, Max Payne and Prey en route to earning over a billion dollars in commercial revenue.

Apogee Entertainment, with founder Scott Miller at the helm, empowers today’s incredibly talented indie developers, paving the way for their global success with innovative ideas, cutting-edge marketing, and the same fearlessness that changed the industry.

Unrivalled golf gameplay experience features all-new EvoSwing, MyPLAYER progression systems, and customisation options

2K today announced new innovations coming to PGA TOUR® 2K25 MyCAREER* and MyPLAYER, including updates to MyPLAYER customisation and progression systems, three of the Major Championships, and the debut of the all-new EvoSwing mechanic, creating the most accessible, authentic golf video game experience yet.

Both MyPLAYER and MyCAREER return with a variety of new features and advancements, including:

• Expanded MyPLAYER Customisation: With the most customisable MyPLAYER experience yet, the ability to customise body types and heights has been added, while the base number of head models per body type has increased from one to four. Players can now create multiple MyPLAYER builds, the number of hairstyles, facial and skin customisation options has increased, and a larger variety of skin tones is available. Players can still choose from five archetypes: Powerhouse, Technician, Magician, Greenskeeper, and Sculptor. Each archetype has its starting attributes reflective of a specific playstyle, including the player’s base swing and putting mechanics. Players can further refine their MyPLAYER Builds through the overhauled Skills system, which now has dedicated Skill Trees for the following shot types: Tee, Approach, Recovery, Bunker and Green;
• Equipment Progression: PGA TOUR 2K25 introduces an all-new level-up and progression system for clubs and balls using Level Up Tokens, Fittings, and EvoTools. This new system evolves how players can shape their equipment to match and enhance their style of play, meaning the more a player uses a piece of equipment, the more it will level up. This is true of both clubs and balls, though they do differ slightly in the type of upgrade used to enhance a particular set of attributes. Players can also skirt the process of manually leveling up through play by using Level Up Tokens, which can be earned or purchased;
• MyCAREER Rounds: In MyCAREER, players can choose to start their journey in Q-School, on the Korn Ferry Tour, or by jumping directly into the PGA TOUR, with the goal to finish in the Top 70 and earn the spot in the playoffs to compete for the coveted FedEx Cup. But now, there are two options to play MyCAREER rounds in a shorter timeframe: Dynamic Rounds and Interactive Simulation. In Dynamic Rounds, only a section of the course is chosen for play so players can get through rounds quickly, and for Interactive Simulation, players can jump in and out of a round at any point to choose what holes they would like to play;
• EvoSwing: Realism is dialed up with the all-new EvoSwing mechanic for both Swing Stick and 3-Click Swing. Whether a player is new to the franchise or a seasoned veteran, EvoSwing compliments the player’s own rhythm and dexterity to better simulate the feeling of swinging a golf club when using Swing Stick, while with 3-Click Swing, players can enjoy the enhanced simulation when using the visual queues to hit their shot;
• Perfect Swing: Delivering the most accessible and forgiving golf experience, players can try out the all-new Perfect Swing difficulty setting, which reduces the material impact of external factors on your swing. New players can get used to the complex game of golf, making it a solid option to ease that journey, and work on their “perfect swing.” Experienced players who simply wish to enjoy a relaxing experience before jumping back into some of our more competitive modes may also find Perfect Swing is a great option;
• Major Championships: Players will be able to test themselves on three of the Major Championship tournaments for the 2025 season: the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and the Open Championship.

For full details, check out the Developer Diary. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements in the coming weeks that will reveal even more of what’s new in PGA TOUR 2K25.

For more information on PGA TOUR 2K25, visit the game’s official website, become a fan on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube, follow the game on X, Instagram, and TikTok, and use the hashtag #PGATOUR2K25.

HB Studios is a 2K studio. 2K is a wholly owned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

*Internet connection and 2K Account (minimum age varies) required to access online features. See www.take2games.com/legal and www.take2games.com/privacy for additional details. 2K accounts are free. Console online play requires separate paid subscription. Terms apply.

Existing Maps Will Also be Updated in the Game’s February Update

Mountaintop Studios today unveiled Canal, the new map launching with Spectre Divide’s Season 1 Flashpoint update. Located in Breakwater’s Shadows district, Canal is a multi-level map piled high with cargo containers, perilous blind corners, and chokepoints players can use to gain tactical advantage. Canal’s Fast Recall Zone opens up unique opportunities for quick rotations and tactical movement.

Additionally, Spectre Divide’s original maps – Commons, Metro, Mill, Skyway – will be updated in the February update. This includes improvements to chokepoints and visual improvements that make maps more colorful, vibrant and alive.

Spectre Divide is a free-to-play 3v3 tactical shooter currently available for Windows PC via Steam, and in development for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. For more information about the game, visit the official website 

About Mountaintop Studios

Mountaintop is a small, independent, fully-remote studio comprised of industry veterans from around the world, looking to evolve the tactical shooter genre. The team is comprised of developers from major shooter titles including Counter-Strike, Valorant, Apex Legends, Halo, Overwatch and Battlefield. Check out the studio’s official website here.