Just the other day, Sony held a State of Play presentation, during which we learned more about some of the PS5’s upcoming slate of games. As you might imagine, given the recent launch of PlayStation VR2, the presentation was largely skewed towards VR titles, at least in its first half. Despite this, we also got an extended look at Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, as well as a few other exciting games that are on their way. Let’s take a look at everything that was announced or highlighted during the presentation!
The Foglands
We started off strong, with a look at an upcoming “atmospheric roguelike adventure” by the name of The Foglands. The announcement trailer shows a Weird West-style environment populated by shambling monsters and revolver-toting cowboys, as well as some of the stylish-looking first-person shooting on display. This one is making its way to PlayStation VR2 sometime this year, so hopefully, we get another look at the game soon.
Green Hell VR
Another VR game due to arrive on PlayStation VR2 sometime this year, Green Hell VR is an Amazon rainforest survival game billed as “the most complex and authentic” survival experience for the platform. You’ll need to drink water, scavenge for food, and try to avoid the rainforest’s creepy-crawlies and wildlife, all while crafting weapons and tools to hopefully help you survive just a little longer in this nightmare. We don’t know when in 2023 this one is due to launch yet.
Synapse
If you’ve played and enjoyed Fracked or Phantom: Covert Ops, then you should already be getting excited for Synapse, which is the next game from the developers of those titles. The State of Play trailer is suitably moody and stylish; it presents an angular, stylish black-and-white world with flashes of colour, as well as fast-paced action that has you sprinting through various environments, ducking behind cover to avoid shots while trying to keep the momentum up. Synapse is due in 2023, too.
Journey to Foundation
The works of Isaac Asimov provide the grounding for the next game in the presentation, which is Journey to Foundation. You play as a spymaster who infiltrates a group of defectors, learning a secret that could change the mission and the course of history as well. The gameplay looks to mix stealth, first-person shooting, and exploration. It’ll be interesting to see how the Foundation universe lends itself to gaming when this one arrives on PlayStation VR2 in autumn.
Before Your Eyes
Get your tissues ready, because this one’s a tearjerker. Before Your Eyes is a VR narrative game in which the memories you have from your life appear and disappear, well, “before your eyes”. Each time you blink, a memory will fade, to be replaced by a new one. As you can imagine, this provides fertile ground for some real emotional pathos, so be ready to cry while you play. Before Your Eyes launches on PlayStation VR2 on March 10th, so you don’t have long to wait for it.
Destiny 2: Lightfall
We’re only a few days away from the release of Destiny 2: Lightfall, so Sony including a launch trailer for the expansion in its State of Play presentation makes perfect sense. That’s exactly what we got, and it looks like Lightfall is going to continue the story that has proven popular with players around the world. There’s also a new subclass to get to grips with, as well as new weapons and all the other stuff you’ve come to expect from new Destiny 2 expansions.
Tchia
Inspired by the landscapes of New Caledonia, Tchia is launching on March 21st and will also arrive on PlayStation Plus Extra as a day-one drop (in much the same way that feline adventure Stray did). If you’re looking for something a little more chilled-out than Destiny 2’s crazy laser lightshow, it looks like Tchia will oblige. The new trailer for the game shows off a gorgeous landscape to explore, as well as a Breath of the Wild-style hang-glider and more.
New PlayStation Plus games
After the Tchia trailer, we got a look at the games that are coming to PlayStation Plus Essential and Extra in March. As a reminder, you’ll get these games if you’re subscribed to the Premium tier as well. Here they are.
- Battlefield 2042 (PS4 and PS5) (Essential)
- Minecraft Dungeons (PS4, playable on PS5) (Essential)
- Code Vein (PS4, playable on PS5) (Essential)
- Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (PS5) (Extra)
- Rainbow Six: Extraction (PS4 and PS5) (Extra)
- Ghostwire: Tokyo (PS5) (Extra)
- Immortals Fenyx Rising (PS4 and PS5) (Extra)
- Tchia (PS4 and PS5) (Extra)
Humanity
After the PS Plus reveal, we got a look at Humanity, the rather offbeat-looking new game from the folks behind Rez and Lumines. In this game, you get to turn into a dog in order to guide huge crowds towards a goal in a series of puzzle levels. It looks a little like a mixture between the harrowing platformer Inside (although thankfully much, much more upbeat) and games like Kurushi. At any rate, this one is coming in May 2023, so you’ll be able to find out what it is then.
Goodbye Volcano High
Next up, it’s a look at Goodbye Volcano High, an interactive narrative drama with rhythm action elements that should appeal to you if you like high school drama and also Gitaroo Man. It’s a colourful, cartoony game with a focus on awkward teen relationships, as well as, uh, the world ending. Goodbye Volcano High arrives on both PS5 and PS4 on June 15th this year, so make sure to give it a wishlist on PlayStation if you’re looking forward to getting your hands on this one.
Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections
Whew, that title. Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is the next game in the Storm series, and it’s being released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the incredibly popular Naruto anime. This one’s an in-depth fighting game with a massive cast of playable characters and an in-depth story mode. We don’t have a release date for it beyond “2023”, but if you’re a fan of all things Naruto, then this is probably already on your radar.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Larian Studios, the creators of the excellent Divinity: Original Sin games, have been given stewardship of classic RPG franchise Baldur’s Gate, and their third instalment appears to be coming along nicely. We got a release date and a new trailer for Baldur’s Gate 3 during the State of Play presentation; the RPG is arriving on PS5 on August 31st, and there was no mention of a PS4 release date, so it looks like you might be out of luck if you wanted to play it on a last-gen machine.
Wayfinder
Next, it’s multiplayer action-adventure title Wayfinder. This game takes place in a beautiful world seemingly inspired by games like World of Warcraft, and it has you and your buddies teaming up to go on expeditions throughout hostile and dangerous environments in order to chart a region known as the Gloom. The beta for the game is arriving in just a few days on February 28th, so if you want to get a look at it, you need to go to the official site to sign up.
Street Fighter 6
The satisfying and chunky-looking fighting game Street Fighter 6 is up next. This new trailer gave us a look at returning favourites Zangief and Cammy, who look like they’ve made the transition from previous games intact, and we also got to see some of new character Lily’s moves. This one’s shaping up to be a must-play if you’re a fan of fighting games, so make sure you’ve wishlisted Street Fighter 6 on PSN ahead of its launch on June 6th this year.
Resident Evil 4
Now it’s time for a terrifying new trailer for Resident Evil 4. The upcoming remake is scheduled to land in late March, and we got a new look at what we can expect from Capcom’s unholy T-viral injection of new life into the classic survival horror game. True to prior promises, the game certainly looks moodier and scarier than its original incarnation, although it looks like the campy and slightly ridiculous sense of humour has also survived intact. A “special demo” is coming soon, although we don’t know what that demo will bring.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Finally, it’s time for the game that’s been on everyone’s lips despite nobody really knowing that much about it. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is, true to prior leaks, a live-service superhero action-RPG with gear and looter-shooter elements and all that other good stuff (ahem). If what you’ve seen has you excited, then you can also check out a new behind-the-scenes video that shows off more of the game. We’re a little disappointed that Suicide Squad isn’t the meaty single-player game we were hoping for, but maybe we shouldn’t pre-judge.
