Greetings, amigos! This is Crystal here coming at you from not-so-sunny Melbourne, Australia to bring you the latest Wander update. The first bit of exciting news is (drumroll…) our release date! Those of you who are overcome with desire to explore the lush forests, beaches, and ocean of Wander will be thrilled to know that it launches on PS4 June 4th.

Next up is something we’re all pretty excited about, and that is our newest trailer! Featuring all four of the forms players can discover in the game — including the beautiful and agile hira, who is being introduced here officially for the very first time — as well as eye-popping shots of the vast and majestic scenery players can explore.

While we were at it, we’ve added a little bit of narration as well just for good measure. Feast your eyes on this, and get ready to wander!

Since our time is nearly at hand, we’ve been working hard to develop tons of awesome new features, such as polishing the griffin flying experience to a high-gloss sheen. Anyone who thinks flying will simply be a matter of just pressing a button to get from point A to point B is in for a pleasant surprise, as it will require a little bit of skill and practise to master.

Luckily, practicing flying is ridiculously fun, as I can’t think of too many things more satisfying than successfully locating and gliding towards a thermal to have it lift you triumphantly into the air! Just keep your eyes open for downdrafts or you could find yourself grounded, your triumph rapidly turning into a sad trombone noise.

Another thing we’ve come up with is a very cool idea for a menu system that doesn’t involve a menu at all! This non-menu will allow the player to manage the map, review their communication glyphs, and change into other forms they’ve found. On top of that, it looks fantastic, too!

Now, you all might be thinking: “Glyphs? What is a glyph and what does it have to do with me?” Well, my lovelies, if you want to communicate with other wanderers, it’s not simply a matter of walking up to them and introducing yourself. You’ve got to learn how, just like in real life! You could be talking to someone who speaks a completely different language than you do, after all.

Thus, while traversing the rainforest you will come across stones that teach you how to draw symbols, which will allow you to speak to other players. This also makes use of the PS4 controller in a very cool and innovative way, by drawing symbols on the touch pad. So basically, the more you search, the more you can say! Do with this knowledge what you wish. You could become the most helpful person in Wander, using what you’ve learned to help new players find useful and interesting places, lorestones, etc. You could become a legend among wanderers. Or, you could just make some friends and then let them figure things out on their own. Your call.

Another cool new feature, for those who really want to take advantage of the vast environment available to them, is skydiving. If you’re a hira, you can request a ride from a griffin buddy by using the helpful new “hop on” feature, fly up as high as you can go, and then plummet spectacularly and gracefully to the ground. You can even land on a griffins back in mid-air, if you’re really talented. I know some of you will look at the floating island and your first thought will be that you’re dying to jump off of it. Well, you can, and in an artistic way, no less.

In addition to this, there is also a Wander PS4 theme! So, if you just can’t get enough of the glorious ambiance and rainforest sounds in the game (And let’s be honest, who can?), you’ll be able to enjoy it on your PlayStation dashboard as well.

That’s it from me for now! If this little taste of what you will experience while immersing yourself in the world of Wander has got you intrigued, then be sure to get your hot little hands on a copy on June 4th.

For my friends on the southern hemisphere, what better way is there to deal with the gloom of winter than by escaping into a sunny, tropical paradise? And for the rest of you, where else can you be a tree, a sea creature, or a griffin?