If you happened to miss today’s PlayStation State of Play presentation, here’s a quick recap for you:
Tekken 8 will break into a new generation:
After a lengthy wait, fans were introduced to the next game in the long running Tekken franchise: Tekken 8. This was done through a trailer featuring dynamic weather, like waves and wind. Then, it was followed up with a blog post, where the following was stated:
This trailer was actually taken directly from a certain part in the current work-in-progress Tekken 8’s story mode, played on PlayStation 5. In other words, all the character models, backgrounds, and effects are the same ones that are used in-game. Although this was captured from the story mode, it is not a pre-rendered movie made for the trailer but rather real-time rendered footage, running at 60 frames per second, similar to how you would experience the game in versus battle modes. (Of course, some of the effects, dialogue as well as the camera angle is currently being updated and may change when the game launches).
In the trailer, you can see this level of quality in the newly created playable character models that completely sets itself apart from the current Tekken 7, and in little details like how water droplets run down the character’s skin. This is not footage created solely for trailer purposes, but an actual real-time rendering of what is happening on the game screen.
Also, the Tekken series holds the record of being the longest-running story in a video game. Just as the ending dialogue of Tekken 7 mentioned, this new entry will focus on the father and son showdown between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. As for the meaning of the scene in the trailer and how significant it is to the main story,… we look forward to you finding it out when the game releases.
Become a hero with PlayStation VR 2, in Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy’s Edge – Enhanced Edition:
The award-winning VR experience from Lucasfilm’s ILMxLAB has been rebuilt to take advantage of many of the enhancements the hardware has to offer.
Utilizing all tech that the PS VR2 has to offer, the game pushes what’s possible with VR to immerse you within the world of Star Wars like never before. The high-fidelity visual experience will include headset-based controller tracking and eye tracking ensuring that your movements and direction you look are reflected as you play.
The audio and haptics also play a major role in the experience, where you’ll be able to hear the soundscape surround you with rich 3D audio and feel even the smallest detail with the haptics built into the PS VR2 Sense controller and headset. Combining all the sensory features that the PS VR2 has to offer, the experience will make you feel as though you are living within the Star Wars galaxy.
Demeo reinvents family game night for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR 2:
The team behind Demeo are bringing their love of family game nights to PlayStation, in both VR and non-VR formats. Combining board games with interactivity, effects and more, it will build on the game that originally launched a year ago.
Available as one game, and one purchase, the regular and PlayStation VR 2 versions of Demeo will coexist. One will allow folks to play traditionally, while the other will use virtual reality to bring players into the experience more. This will include allowing them to make menu selections with the blink of an eye.
It’s coming in 2023.
Like a Dragon: Ishin releases this February:
The folks behind the Yakuza series have something new up their sleeves, which they call Like a Dragon: Ishin.
Like a Dragon: Ishin is an action-adventure historical thriller set uniquely in 1860s Kyo, a fictionalized version of Kyoto. While other games tell earlier stories in Japanese history, Ishin lets you experience the story of how the iconic samurai era vanished. Our hero, Sakamoto Ryoma, is a true historical figure largely credited with overthrowing the shogunate and taking Japan into a radical reformation.
Like a Dragon: Ishin brings in familiar faces to tell this epic historical tale. Fans will recognize our protagonist as Kazuma Kiryu from earlier entries in the franchise. In Ishin, Kiryu is cast as Sakamoto Ryoma and brings the rest of his crew along too. Goro Majima and other Yakuza celebrities join Ryoma as friends and foes in this fictional world that trades the flashy streets of Tokyo for the chaotic bustle of 1860s Kyo. These new character dynamics are as thrilling as they are unexpected, with a series of mind-blowing twists and turns in a story only RGG studio can tell.
In Ishin, you can slash through foes with a lethal blade using the Swordsman style or sharpshoot your enemies with a revolver using the Gunman style. Better yet, wield both a gun and sword and enter a fury with the Wild Dancer style. And when you’re feeling extra brutal, smash some skulls with your bare fists using the Brawler style.
But that’s not all. It wouldn’t be an RGG Studio title without epically absurd heat actions. Summon a tiger to maul your foes, shove pickled plums down your enemies’ throats, and wield a whole cannon to blow down opponents. The heat actions in Ishin will leave you itching to uncover new moves at every stage of the game.
Ironwood Studios’ Pacific Drive welcomes you to the Olympic Exclusion Zone:
Born from the rhythm of an engine, Pacific Drive is a run-based first-person driving survival game. As you explore the Zone, your car is your lifeline: scavenge resources to maintain and improve your car — as long as you keep it running, it will protect you from the surrounding dangers.
In 1955, the United States government seized a region of the Pacific Northwest by eminent domain. The Olympic Peninsula became the staging ground for promising new technologies, but these utopian creations came at great cost: severe radiation, environmental collapse, and supernatural horrors. The government walled off the area and established the Olympic Exclusion Zone. What happened inside was never disclosed.
Rumors and stories about the Zone run rampant, compelling you to go and explore its perimeter. Your plans go awry and you’re now stuck inside – you don’t know it yet, but the only way out is through. You find a barely running station wagon deep in the woods, miraculously unlocked and able to make the trip down the hill into the valley. Here you come across an abandoned auto shop which becomes your base of operations, where you safely repair and improve your car between runs. Do your best to survive, solve mysteries, and search for a way out — or become part of the ongoing legends of the Zone.
Structured as a “road-lite”, each trip from your garage into the Zone is full of strange anomalies and technologies, and plenty of radiation. If you keep your car in good shape, you’ll be safe to explore, scavenge for resources, and drive further into distinct biomes that offer more valuable rewards. The land shifts with every passing storm, making each journey a unique experience. Discovering new resources will allow you to outfit your vehicle with defenses, trick out your garage, and find more dangerous routes that bring you deeper and deeper into the Zone.
Digital collectibles are coming to PlayStation Stars:
You’ll soon be able to earn digital collectibles, all of which vary in rarity, through PlayStation Stars.
These first look examples include a scene with Punto the gondolier from Ape Escape 2, PlayStation 3, PocketStation, Toro and Kuro celebrating a birthday, Chord Machine, and Polygon Man.
Created just for PlayStation Stars, these digital collectibles can only be earned through our loyalty program. In some instances, collectibles will be provided as a way to commemorate past activities, achievements, or product ownership. They range in rarity, just like the actual products on which they are based or the effort required to earn them. Once you’ve earned collectibles, you can arrange them in a virtual display case within the PlayStation App and, if you choose, you may display your collectibles case within your PSN profile to friends. There will be different ways to acquire or earn collectibles – the primary way will be through completing campaigns.
The campaigns in PlayStation Stars will be fun, delightful, and yes, sometimes challenging to complete. A campaign may be a point-earning or collectible-earning activity. One of our first campaigns is “Hit Play/1994,” where members who correctly launch games that match song-based clues receive a special collectible. More campaign details to come.
PlayStation Stars will launch as part of the PlayStation App.
Embark on a dystopian/futuristic adventure with Synduality:
Synduality is set in a dystopian future where poisonous rain and deformed creatures wreak havoc on the world, where you and you AI partner must find a way to work together and reclaim lost ground for humanity. Adding to the excitement, we have partnered with prominent designers Neco (for character design) and Gyobu (for mech design) to bring their unique sci-fi style to the game.
In the world of Synduality, you will take on a role as Drifters—who makes a living by collecting AO Crystals; a rare resource that can only be obtained in dangerous terrestrial environment. You will take on each mission in your Cradle Coffin—an armed vehicle that will get you mobile during the adventure. Players can personalize their Cradle Coffin—not only its appearance, but the weapons equipped as well to make your Cradle Coffin suit your own play style.
You are not alone on this journey. An AI partner called Magus will be there in battle flying alongside your mech to give directions, hints, and warnings so you can safely complete your missions. Discover unique interactions and dialogues with Magus depending on different situations.
On the vast battlefield, you will encounter xenomorphic creatures known as Enders, trying to stop you from gathering the AO crystals. You can use different types of weaponries attached to the Cradle Coffin to fend off these incoming enemies.
Immerse yourself into an intense PvPvE battle. When playing online, you’ll also encounter other players trying to clear their own missions—be careful, they could potentially hinder your progress.
New story trailer revealed for Stellar Blade, formerly known as Project Eve:
Having undergone a name change, Project Eve — now known as Stellar Blade — joined today’s State of Play presentation to share new story content.
Eve and her comrades land on the surface to reclaim the extinct Earth and cross paths with a survivor named Adam. Eve is then led by Adam to the last surviving city, Xion, where she meets the elder of the town Orcal and is told many stories. In order to serve her mission to save Earth, Eve develops close relationships with the key members of Xion and contributes to rebuilding the city.
On a mission to save Earth from the NA:tive, Eve is also faced with helping out the citizens of Xion. Whether you will help the survivors or not, depends purely on your decision as the player.
Stellar Blade introduces action combat that require deflecting and evading the NA:tives’ attack at a precise timing that will also connect to combos and unique skills. Throughout the game, you will arm yourself with unique Beta Skills and intense Burst Skills, which I promise will be pleasing to the eye.
Brace yourselves… Bosses’ strengths are on a completely different level compared to the common NA:tives, offering a challenging and strategic combat encounter.
Rise of the Ronin is a new action-RPG from Team Ninja:
Rise of the Ronin is a combat focused open-world action RPG that takes place in Japan at a time of great change. It is the very end of a 300-year long Edo Period, commonly known as “Bakumatsu”. Set in the late 19th century, Japan is facing the darkest of times as it struggles with its oppressive rulers and deadly diseases while western influence permeates as civil war continues to rage between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Anti-Shogunate factions.
Here in this time of mayhem, you embody a Ronin character, a warrior bound to no master and free to make choices of its own. Rise of the Ronin is a new Team Ninja experience that will immerse you in an historically inspired world while bringing together its renowned combat action with Katanas and the likes, with new firearm weaponry that depicts the unique personality of its time period.
Beyond the action elements, we will be steadfast in our efforts to create a multilayered story that showcases the world of the Bakumatsu period and the revolution that took place. The characters that you will meet all have their own brand of justice and motivations, and whether you decided to side with or against them… each decision you make will matter. With new combat action and unrestrained open gameplay, we are looking forward to setting you free as you immerse yourself as a Ronin.
This game began development seven years ago.