Summer Game Fest (E3): Sony starts hostilities gently with its State of Play

The “big” Summer Game Fest, the substitute for E3 for this month of June 2022, will not really start until next week, but the festivities are however formally already open. It is indeed in the middle of this night from June 2 to 3 that Sony’s video game division broadcast its summer State of Play presentation. A broadcast which certainly had no ambition to compete with one of these monumental “E3 conferences” as we once knew them: the manufacturer had warned us, it would above all be an opportunity to hear about some of the first titles planned for PlayStation VR2, and titles from third-party publishers.

The PlayStation VR2 in the spotlight, but still very fierce

On the first of these themes, you might as well put an end to expectations right away: no new info concerning the hardware side of the equation has been put in your mouth. No launch window announced, even less price: we had to settle for a few games shown without date. We thus saw some very short sequences of gameplay for Horizon: Call of the Mountain, the game developed by Firesprite Games in association with Guerilla, and already unveiled by Sony at CES last January. These sequences suggest an adventure game that will give pride of place to climbing and archery combat, in a universe that is still just as lush.

Other names already heard, The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners Chapter 2: Retribution and No Man’s Sky also honored us with their presence. The first had already been announced a few weeks ago during Meta’s Quest Gaming Showcase (Facebook/Oculus), and will therefore be available on PS VR2 — as soon as the headset is available, of course — alongside the Quest 2 versions, PS VR1 and PC. The second has already been playable on first-gen PS VR since 2019, so it was only perfectly expected that it would make the trip to the PlayStation 5 headset.

Far more notable, however, was the announcement of a VR update for Resident Evil Village, the latest incarnation of Capcom’s acclaimed series of horror games. As soon as this update is available, the entire game will become playable in an immersive version on Sony’s next-generation console. This of course echoes the similar option offered on PS4 by Resident Evil VII, remembered as one of the most iconic pages in the PS VR1 catalog. Thrills guaranteed.

This was not the only announcement concerning the saga. resident Evilsince the upcoming release of a full remake of one of its most popular episodes has also been confirmed, Resident Evil 4with a technique entirely brought up to today’s standards, a visual style “darker” and “a smoother gaming experience”but while remaining “faithful to the spirit of the original version”, we are promised. The icing on the cake, he too will be entitled to PS VR2 content – ​​but this time it should not be the entire game. We smell the constraint of an exclusivity signed with Meta within the framework of the production of Resident Evil 4 VR on Quest 2. In the meantime, the “flat” version of the game is scheduled for March 24, 2023 on PS5, but also on Xbox Series X / S and PC.

And since Capcom definitely had things to tell us, street fighter 6 also took advantage of the event to show itself for the first time in motion, with a new graphic style for the series, and new game modes such as a Battle Hub emphasizing the community functions of the game. Again, no exclusivity to the program: the title will be released in 2023 also on PS4/5 as well as on Xbox Series (but not One) and PC.

Final Fantasy XVI at the peak of the show

A few more modest titles sprinkled the presentation, among which we note in particular the very intriguing stray. The game from the French BlueTwelve Studio was noticed as soon as it was announced for its very original concept, which sees the player embody a wandering alley cat in a cyberpunk world populated by robots. Imminent launch: the game will be available from July 16 on PS4 and PS5 – and included from day one in the catalog of PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscriptions.

But the highlight of the show was the new trailer for Final Fantasy XVI, of which we had not seen new images since its announcement a year and a half ago. Square Enix says new installment in its legendary RPG series has entered “in the last phase of its development”and already “playable from start to finish”. But said last phase will not be rushed, since it is only in the summer of 2023 that the game should see the light of day.

Sony’s opening to the world of PC gaming continues

Finally, to conclude, it is impossible not to mention the only major announcement concerning the internal studios of the PlayStation organization: after Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone, god of war and the imminent Uncharted Legacy of Thieves CollectionSony’s fifth major “first party” license to join the PC will be Spiderman. It will start with the release of Spider-Man Remastered on August 12, then will continue with that of Spider-Man Miles Morales in autumn. The ports are provided by the Dutch Nixxes, specialists in conversion work, in close collaboration with the original developers of Insomniac Games. The Nixxes studio was acquired by Sony in July 2021, very precisely with the aim of supporting the publisher’s expansion efforts towards the PC world.