Following a few days being raked over the coals for the Spider-Man exclusivity deal in Marvel’s Avengers, tonight was a chance for PlayStation to earn back some cred by way of a State of Play livestream that offered some updates on all things PS4. And yes, while it might be annoying to still not know when PS5 release, overall this was a decent show highlighting third-party games that proved why its still worth staying glued to your current PlayStation console.
If you missed the show, don’t fret. Below you’ll find everything announced during the livestream rounded up in a neat and concise manner. The full presentation will be included at the bottom of the post. Let’s look at what was shown…
Crash Bandicoot 4 It’s About Time opens the show with new details
PlayStation wasted no time shining a light on the new Crash Bandicoot game at the start of the show. As a direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, a Toys for Bob representative talked about what familiar elements they’re keeping (such as Insanity Beach as the starting level) as well as how they’re taking the series forward. The game continues to absolutely look gorgeous in motion. The art style is very expressive and all-new platforming abilities like wall running and zip lining are sure to come in handy.
It was revealed that Crash Bandicoot 4 will offer up various consmetic options for Crash and his friends, all of which can be earned as you progress through levels by collecting gyms. The new ‘Quantum Masks’ mechanic was also detailed. These can be gathered within stages and allow you to manipulate your environments in cool ways. Toys for Bob teased that the fourth mask’s function will be revealed soon. Dingodile was confirmed to be returning as a villain alongside Neo Cortex. The segment’s biggest announcement was a new mirror mode. Completionists should love it.
Hitman III continues to look beautiful + getting VR mode
While PlayStation explicitly stated that PS4 and PSVR games would be the main focus of the show, we didn’t expect that Hitman III would be one of the titles falling into the latter camp. A new first-person mode VR mode for the game was announced, which could potentially offer a new perspective on the world of assassination. Better yet, it was confirmed shortly after that both Hitman and Hitman II would also be retroactively getting VR support.
Braid is getting an anniversary edition next year
The classic puzzle adventure from Jonathan Blow that sees you manipulate time is getting a remastered version called Braid Anniversary Edition. It features updated music and visuals, developer commentary and all-new animations. This was most certainly a surprise. It will arrive on PS5 early next year.
The Pathless is a Zelda-inspired indie coming to PlayStation 5
Looking for your next open-world fix? The Pathless from developer Giant Squid looks like it might do the truck, most certainly taking inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild but placing emphasis on smooth traversal and tight bow and arrow mechanics. It might be an indie game, but it definitely looked intriguing. We especially like the mechanic of maintaining your glide to gain altitude. The bond between the hunter player character and her eagle was said to be incredibly important, being the only way to solve puzzles and defeat enemies successfully.
A brief update on roguelike platformer Spelunky 2
Indie creator Derek Yu offered us an update on Spelunky 2, which makes sense considering it had been a while. He reinforced how online multiplayer is a new addition to the game, in the hopes of continuing the strong sense of community that the first game fostered. There wasn’t a ton of new information here outside of the ability to now ride Turkeys (a real thing) and the inclusion of branching paths. It looks charming enough, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Aeon Must Die is a 2D visual treat for the eyes
If futuristic 2D platformers are your jam, you’ll definitely want to play close attention to Aeon Must Die. The new trailer shown at State of Play gave off some pretty cool vibes, especially since the animations looked slick and the colour pallet was incredibly vibrant and colourful. It appears to look and play in the same vein as Streets of Rage 4. That’s a very good thing!
Bugsnax gets a new gameplay trailer
Yes, we know that as soon as the phrase Bugsnax gets mentioned you’ve probably got the song in your head, but thankfully this made for a pretty great opening gag in the new Bugsnax gameplay trailer. It gave us a good look at the game’s first-person exploration and characters, with things getting pretty mysterious and scary at points. Bugsnax is set for PlayStation 5 very soon.
A Reminder that Vader Immortal is coming to PSVR soon
Having already satisfied the hinger of Star Wars fans everywhere on other VR platforms, we got a reminder that the utterly fantastic-looking Vader Immortal is coming to PlayStation VR – and soon. The game previously didn’t have a release date, but now PSVR fans can look forward to duelling with Vader on August 25th.
Control’s second DLC pack has Alan Wake written all over it
Remedy Games’ Control was arguably one of the best single-player PS4 games that released last year. We got a slight tease for its second DLC expansion pack simply called Awake, which all but confirmed that Alan Wake (along with his original voice actor) would be crossing over into Jessie’s world. Expect new powers, a fresh story and even more mystery going on in The Old House.
Hood: Outlaws and Legends is a new PS5 game
PlayStation lied to us and featured a never-before-seen PS5 game during the State of Play showcase. The surprise was a game called Hood: Outlaws and Legends, being based on the popular English folk legend. The trailer seemingly indicated a strong emphasis on four-person co-op and was confirmed to be coming to PlayStation 5 sometime in 2021. We want some gameplay, though.
Open world Pokémon-like TemTem is coming to PS5
Having already lit up the Steam charts for the past couple months, it was confirmed that a PS5 version of TemTem is in the works. Arriving on Sony’s next-gen console some time in 2021, TemTem takes heavy inspiration from the Pokemon series in that you collect and battle creatures. Long story short it’s a copyright holder’s worst nightmare, but overall looks like it will scratch that turn-based RPG itch in the classic style.
New PS5 gameplay of Godfall closes the show
Godfall was the very first PS5 game ever announced during The Game Awards some time ago. Today saw developer Counterplay Games give us a closer look at this so-called ‘looter-slasher’, which appears to be a fantasy take on the Borderlands template, swapping out guns for melee weapons. A great variety of weapons were shown covering all five weapon types, from simple dual blades to the single-handed great sword. It was a pretty decent overview overall. Demonstrating the signature moves of both the longsword and dual blade classes. Players will be able to fight their own way.
