The Gamer Log Breakdown Of The
Playstation state of play
January 31, 2024
Sony Gives A Big Lineup of Games for the Future in a Strong State of Play featuring 17 games
There were a few leaks that gave word of a big state of play late in January, and Sony did not disappoint with their showing which arrived January 31, 2024. 17 games is a huge number for a 40 minute show, but there was also a wide range in the level of information we recieved. Many games are coming soon, others seem to still be a ways away. Some of the games shown were really just commercials for imminent releases, and some were small reveals with little to no actual information. All together, it made for one of the better State of Plays to come from Sony in some time. Below we can get into the weeds together as the Gamer Log breaks down what was there with some quick thoughts to help you make sense of 2024 in the world of Playstation.
Sony State of Play Lineup
Helldiver II – A pretty standard commercial to lead-off the show. The game comes out February 8, so there’s not much else to see from this game until we have it in our hands.
Stellar Blade – This game has a lot of question marks. The developer is unproven, but the game looks pretty good from what we’ve seen. This was a strange choice as what was shown didn’t seem like the best way to show this game off. That being said, the characters and world look great. The enemy variety just in what we’ve seen looks to be top-tier as well. This is clearly a thirst trap, to some degree at least. But, we won’t hold it against them too hard if the gameplay is good.
Sonic X Shadow Generations – This is an older game that seems to be getting a facelift with all-new content added in. Shadow will be appearing in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie, so it was to be expected that they would try to build public attention for him in the lead up. This is a game that has a good reputation among gamers, so if the new content is as good as it looks, this will be a huge win.
Zenless Zone Zero – If you are a fan of other Hoyoverse titles like Honkai Starrail and Genshin Impact, then I am sure this will appeal to you. It is a series of games that have always looked great but I have never been able to get into. This came with the announcement that it was in development for PS5, but little apart from that.
Foamstars – This game is not shy about how much it was influenced by Splatoon for the Nintendo Switch. Despite the clear copycat syndrome at play here, people who have gotten their hands on it say it is surprisingly fun. Whether it has the staying power of something like Splatoon remains to be seen, but this title will be coming to PS4 and PS5 sometime in 2024.
Dave the Diver – This was a cheeky little trailer from a breakout indie game that came out last year. This announcement confirmed that it will be coming to Playstation in April, and a free DLC featuring Godzilla will be right behind it in May.
V Rising – This is an interesting looking isometic game that seems to be part Diablo and part Castlevania, as you seem to be a vampire running around gothic architecture and fighting gruesome beasts, humans, and massive bosses. The game will feature crafting and survival elements as you try to reach the top of the food chain. It is slated to come to PS5 sometime in 2024.
Silent Hill: the Short Message – Konami announced a fresh wave of Silent Hill games awhile back following years of waiting from fans. The first was a critically panned phone game-show hybrid experiment that seems to have disappoint at large. This game seems to more of what the fans have been wanting. It looks pretty good, taking the Silent Hill aesthetic and making its own thing out of it. Will probably be worth a try for fans of the series since it is free to play and seems to be a short contained experience.
Silent Hill 2 – This is the big one Silent Hill fans have been looking for. It seems to be a little further back in its development cycle than people would like, as it didn’t carry any kind of release window. It merely stated that it was in development for Playstation 5. The editing of this trailer seemed a little wonky to me, but that may simply point to the fact that there wasn’t really much to show. What we did see seemed decent. There was some jank to the character movements that felt appropriate for the franchise, but the graphics weren’t really what I had hoped to see. They didn’t look terrible, just not great. But that could also be chalked up to needing further development time, which it appears to be getting.
Judas – This is the new game from Ken Levine and his new studio, Ghost Story Games. He is famous for creating the BioShock series, and this certainly looks like the spiritual successor. The art style and what little gameplay we’ve seen looks to be straight out of the BioShock playbook, and that is not a bad thing. Those games are legendary for a reason, and the hype for this game is definitely building despite only revealing that it was in development for PS5.
Metro Awakening VR – This is another great game series from the past, though it has been more active in recent years. This particular entry is set to bolster a PS VR2 game lineup that has been lambasted over the past year for not having enough to offer. This will help Sony on that front. It looks like it has a great grasp on the vibes that have made the series so well recieved in the past. This is slated for a 2024 release, though nothing more definitive has been announced.
Legendary Tales – The second of back-to-back VR announcements, this one featuring melee combat in a medieval fantasy setting. The swordplay looks pretty interesting for a VR title, though it can be to tell with these kinds of titles when you are only watching it on a screen. Nonetheless, it peaked my interest despite me not having access to a PS VR2. I will be interested to hear what the playerbase has to say whe it releases on February 8, 2024.
Dragon’s Dogma II – This is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Not much new was shown off here, but it was good to get another look at the combat. Battling enormous monsters in this fantasy setting looks like a ton of fun. I cannot wait for March 22, 2024.
Rise of the Ronin – Also coming out on March 22 is Rise of the Ronin from Team Ninja, creators of Nioh and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. This game will force me to make hard decisions since it and Dragon’s Dogma are high on my list. I may be leaning this game’s direction first because the combat looks truly astounding. Team Ninja games have always had trouble with textures in their games – the models look fantastic up-close, but in wider views everything can look a bit flat and muddy. That being said, this game look good enough. If the gameplay is as spectacular as it looks, this will be a big winner for me in 2024.
Until Dawn – This game is a big favorite of mine. Supermassive Games first released this game in 2015 with Sony acting as the publisher. They have since refined their process with titles like the Quarry, and the Dark Pictures Anthology. These games have a great style that makes you feel like you are inside a horror movie. Even so, this has remained one of my favorites. I am glad to see it is getting a 2024 PS5 remaster in response to the news that an Until Dawn movie is in the works.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach -Legendary video game creator Hideo Kojima gave us one final big splash with a lengthy trailer showing off Death Stranding 2. This was easily my biggest pop of the show. I loved the first game when I played it. The Decima Engine that runs these games makes unbelievable visuals, and Kojima takes advantage by utilizing an all-star cast headlined by Norman Reedus, of Walking Dead fame. This game seems just as insane as its predecessor. This trailer is packed with crazy imagery and insane bombastic moments. Nobody can get intense, meta, and just downright weird quite like Hideo Kojima; and this nearly 10 minute long trailer is dripping with all the things he has become known for. It ends with a 2025 release window. Next year is already shaping up to be another banger of a year.
Physint – Hideo Kojima appeared on screen after the end of the Death Stranding 2 trailer to speak with Herman Hulst, head of Playstation Studios, about the project he has lined up. He did not have alot of information about it apart from that it exists and that it is a movie but also a game (in typical Hideo Kojima fashion, who knows what that really means), though he did tease that it was a return to the Action Espionage genre. This, of course, immediately brings to mind thoughts of Metal Gear: Solid. Kojima became a star in the world of gaming with the series published by Konami. The final game of the series famously had a rough development due to constant conflict between the publisher and Kojima which culminated in the very public divorce of the two and the game releasing in what many felt was an unfinished state. Naturally, as soon as Kojima said the words “Action Espionage Game” everyone assumed that this would be the true spiritual successor to that beloved series. I have no doubt that the fact that Konami is about to ramp up marketing on Metal Gerar Solid Delta, a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, has nothing to do with the timing of this announcement. Regardless, it doesn’t appear like work on the project with truly start in earnest until he finishes Death Stranding 2. So, we should expect this anytime soon. There has been speculation that this could even be a Playstation 6 game when it finally appears.
The whole show ended with the announcement that another State of Play will be coming February 6, and that it will be seemingly entirely focused on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. It makes sense that it would get its own spotlight since it is easily the most hyped game release of 2024. This game is my game of the year frontrunner, as I absolutely loved the first game, Final Fantasy 7 Remake. I am so ready for this game to come out. Needless to say, I will be there minute one to start up as soon as the game becomes available. I am so hyped for this release that I am operating on media blackout, and therefore, will not be covering that particular State of Play unless I find out that something other than Rebirth will be making an appearance.
Thank you for coming to the Gamer Log. I hope this breakdown has helped you make sense of all these great looks at the upcoming games for Playstation in 2024 and beyond.
