SONY SHOWCASE
Sony showcases why games matter
Sony reveals what’s in development for PlayStation… and it’s all good.
Sony brought a no-frills approach to its June E3 conference, which made a resounding statement of intent. With little bluster – okay, there was a sitar band sat under a waterfall, zombies descending from the rafters, and virtual snow flurries – Sony delivered a bang-bang barrage of big games you can only experience on PlayStation 4.
Kicking off with the first gameplay reveal of Chloe and Nadine teamclimbing in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (p50), we then jumped straight into footage of Horizon Zero Dawn’s first frosty DLC, The Frozen Wilds (p11) before we became immersed in Deacon St John’s bid to outrun the zombie horde in the astonishing Days Gone (p64).
“Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, Bend… out of control!” shouted a clearly breathless Shawn Layden, president of Sony Interactive Entertainment America. The tone was set. Then it got blown away as Sony gave us our first look at the remake we’ve been waiting for: Shadow Of The Colossus (p46) in glorious 4K. Bravo Sony.
“PlayStation is home to all the biggest and best franchises in the world,” stated Layden as he played up to the crowd. A man whooped, and as if to prove the point Capcom’s Monster Hunter World broke from cover (p34) and then Call Of Duty: WWII’s (p52) first multiplayer gameplay emerged. *Breathe*
If we were to level any criticism at Sony’s approach to its E3 show, it’d be that its barrage of game trailers, gameplay reveals, and teases was relentlessly overwhelming. To quote Kratos from the first God Of War in-game reveal, “the road ahead is long and unforgiving”.
THE REALITY THING
The focus on games extended to the latest PS VR news. Whereas last year Sony stoked the excitement with details of PS VR’s release date and launch lineup, this year, with over one million headsets sold, Sony has convinced us VR is a viable
platform. Now it’s just a case of supporting it with great games. It’s testament to the success of PS VR that Sony was able to devote so much time to showcasing new games for its headset.
FUS RO VR!
The reel began with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR. We saw Tamriel as we’ve always seen it, but the idea of playing the open-world fantasy in PS VR has our fingers tingling. There was no confirmation of control setup – we’d hedge towards DualShock 4, but dual-wielding two PS Move controllers would be our dream.
Playful’s Star Child was next. A sci-fi ‘cinematic’ platformer directed by Kynan Pearson – his past work includes level design for Metroid Prime. The game is a neon-soaked 2.5D adventure with an emphasis on exploration - a new VR genre.
Then came the quirky fishing VR game, Monster Of The Deep: Final Fantasy XV. You read that correctly; the boys from FFXV are on a fishing trip and we’re all virtually invited to get wet and wild. As the name suggests, there’s something big and nasty lurking in the reeds.
We also saw a new reason to get a PS Aim controller, as first-person shooter Bravo Team blew the doors off, and woke the crowd. The PS Aim controller has proved an instant hit, Farpoint entered the UK charts at number two to become the highestcharting VR game in UK history. With Bravo Team Sony gave us one more reason to pick-up the peripheral.
E3 also marked the return of our favourite developer, Supermassive Games, as its VR prequel to Until Dawn, called simply Inpatient, proved there’s life in the franchise. Set 60 years before the breakout horror game, you’ll explore the nightmare of Blackwood Sanatorium in a game that has a whiff of Silent Hill.
The final title in Sony’s push to ensure PS VR makes the headlines was the charming Moss (p43), which was a fantasy Stuart Little in all but name. The game stars a cute adventuring mouse who, with your VR help, can overcome obstacles, traps, and puzzles. Coming after Bravo Team, the rodent’s antics felt refreshingly serene… that was, until a dirty great snake slipped in and snarled up the screen.
Somewhere behind the scenes Layden was doubtless toasting Sony’s success… as God Of War made its entrance. We’ve been waiting a year for solid details on Kratos’ return, and you can read more in our Hot 50 feature (p70), but news that the game will release ‘early 2018’ suggests a March launch date.
David Cage’s Detroit: Become Human (p61) lent the events a cerebral tone, as we finally caught sight of how it will play. The blend of Beyond: Two Souls choice-led scripting and a heist premise made the game look accessible.
There was one more release scoop, one so big it brought Layden back on stage. “That was quite the rollercoaster ride,” he understated. But he wasn’t letting us off the ’coaster. “Let me leave you with a true PlayStation exclusive from one of the industry’s most respected developers.” The auditorium fell quiet. “Enjoy the ride,” he teased as Spider-Man swung in. You can read our Insomniac interview and more on Spidey on p72, but it’s worth noting here that there’s a moment after the explosive chase through New York’s avenues, in the calm, when Sony’s game shows its true colours: we see Miles Morales make a cameo. Proof that Sony does things differently. It’s so unorthodox, in fact, that its relentless games-led conference took many by surprise – but isn’t that what we love? Read how Sony’s PlayLink is bringing mobile and PS4 together on page 16.
THE CHARMING MOSS WAS A FANTASY STUART LITTLE IN ALL BUT NAME.