PlayStation State of Play’s Five Biggest Reveals
Sony’s first PlayStation State of Play for 2024 kicked off with a bang on Wednesday, offering first-look footage and announcements for some of the biggest releases coming to the console in the coming months.�
In the 43-minute presentation, Sony’s reveals included a PlayStation 5 remake of “Until Dawn,” a PlayStation version of “Dave the Diver” (featuring Godzilla) and footage from Capcom’s “Dragon’s Dogma II.”�
Still, those major titles pale in comparison to the biggest news of the day, from Hideo Kojima’s new project to Ken Levine’s highly-anticipated BioShock follow-up. Below are the five biggest reveals from the State of Play.�
“Stellar Blade”
The first major sneak peek was for “Stellar Blade,” ShiftUp’s story of a post-apocalyptic Earth where a mysterious Demogorgon-like enemy force called the NA:tive has caused humans to flee to an off-world colony.�
Gamers play as paratrooper Eve, joined by companions Adam and Lily, on her journey to save humanity from extinction. The preview revealed gameplay mechanics like skill trees, equipment upgrades and key locations like the subterranean city Xion. Eve will frequently encounter people in need and the players can decide whether to help or ignore them. The game will release on Apr. 26.�
“Silent Hill”�
There were two big announcements in the world of Konami’s Silent Hill. Up first, the free-to-play title “Silent Hill: The Short Message” was revealed for a same-day release on PlayStation 5. In the preview footage, a young woman leaps from the top of a building and awakens in an unfamiliar, hostile environment. She’s plagued by messages from a friend, insistent that she can’t leave her prison until she finds what she’s looking for.�
The trailer for the PS5 remake of “Silent Hill 2” was also revealed, but no release date was shared.�
“Judas”�
BioShock creator Ken Levine’s latest game, “Judas,” showcased a new story trailer. In it, a silver-haired young woman questions, “What if I told you that every word you say is being recorded? Every thought you’ve ever had? Your love, your fear, your hate were just planted in your brain like weeds in a garden. What would you do for yourself? We both know the answer to that question: nothing.”�
Gameplay footage of the first-person shooter shows off hostile robots, spraypainting mishaps and a shotgun-wielding dinosaur clad in a cowboy hat. No release date was shared.�
“Rise of the Ronin”�
A new gameplay overview of “Rise of the Ronin,” coming exclusively to PS5 on Mar. 22, showcased impressive traversal mechanics allowing the protagonist to run, climb, glide and ride horses.�
Meanwhile, in combat, Japanese long swords are combined with guns brought from overseas. Players can also up the ante with inventions like the Fire Pipe, a flamethrower-like piece of ancient technology.�
“Death Stranding 2: On The Beach” and More Hideo Kojima IP�
In a bizarre trailer for “Death Stranding 2: On The Beach,” Léa Seydoux’s Fragile reveals she’s spearheaded a new civilian group, Drawbridge. “You brought America together,” she tells Norman Reedus’ Sam. “But I’m afraid Death Stranding is far from over. Humanity is still in danger. Still on the brink of extinction.”�
A menagerie of odd imagery follows in the nearly 10-minute trailer, from a marionette-like creature latching onto Sam’s hip, to Troy Baker’s Higgs fighting with an electrified guitar. The game, also starring Elle Fanning, will release in 2025.�
Following the trailer, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima joined PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst to reveal his new action-espionage IP, “Physint.” While little was revealed about the content of the project, Kojima tweeted, “Of course this is an interactive ‘game’, but the look, story, theme, cast, acting, fashion, sound, etc… are all at the next level of ‘Digital Entertainment’ that could be called a ‘movie’. As the State of Play ended, the camera zoomed out to reveal the “Physint” logo beneath a Columbia Pictures sign… whatever that means.�
Fans won’t have to wait long for another State of Play – the next one is slated for Feb. 6 and will be entirely dedicated to “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.”
