Sony’s State of Play 2022- Delving into the Exclusivity
- State of Sony so Far
- Tekken 8
- Like a Dragon Ishin
- PlayStation VR 2: Star Wars Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge
- Pacific Drive
- PlayStation Stars & Exclusive Hogwarts Legacy content
- Synduality & Stellar Blade
- God of War Ragnarök & Rise of the Ronin
State of Sony so Far
Sony holds its exclusive State of Play event every year where they announce new products, intellectual properties and exclusive content for previously released games. Along with the PS5 having released almost two years ago, the transition into a new generation of gaming has begun. Console game testing is an ever-changing skillset as there are more advanced hardware with bigger and more complex games every generation. Millions of dollars are put into the production of certain titles that are almost in par with triple-A movie titles.
The event that went down on September 13th at 6pm ET traced some new updates from their Japanese partners and developers from across the world alike. It was a 20-minute-long video release that featured a few new trailers and some advertisements for some exclusive Sony content.
Let’s take a look at what went down at Sony’s State of Play 2022:
Tekken 8
Bandai Namco had previously teased the release of the new entry in the long running fighting series as we get our first impressions on Tekken 8. Tekken 7 was released in 2015, for context- it was two US president tenures ago. The trailer shown was rendered game footage running on a PlayStation 5. The game’s graphics look incredibly smooth with dynamic weather effects and character models that look better than most CGI films made in the late 2000’s. Even though there exist a few side-game, namely- two Tekken tag tournament titles and Tekken: Dark Resurrection (PSP), the ongoing story for the realistic fighting game is continued with this new release after more than half a decade.
There is no release date announced, and the trailer came with a cryptic “stay tuned”.
Like a Dragon Ishin
This game is developed from the studio that created Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It traces its way back to the end of the samurai period of Japan. Unlike its namesake, this game is not a turn-based RPG, but rather a action-adventure title that is looking to incorporate certain open-world elements to it. Similar to how spaghetti westerns make up fictitious characters from time to explain the rise and fall of the Wild West in America, there are characters taken from the Yakuza series as historical figures to explain the end of the Samurai era. The gameplay shown is set in the 1860s where the protagonist wields a sword and gun which can be used at the same time in game. The dynamics in-game and in-combat would be very tough to get right as swords and guns do not usually work in tandem with each other in a fighting game. The Yakuza team makes a bold move with this title and the game is slated for release in February 2023.
PlayStation VR 2: Star Wars Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge
Previously only available on the Oculus Rift released November 2020, this Star Wars title is being enhanced and remade for the Sony VR 2. This game is inspired by the Star Wars theme park at the Disney World in California- where the player gets to experience a number of different stories across the Star Wars timeline, which all revolve around the Black Spire outpost. This outpost incidentally also doubles down as the Disney Land outpost. The shooting mechanics look sound along with a many interesting characters and locations being introduced in this title. The enhanced edition is set to release early 2023 for the PSVR2.
Pacific Drive
There has finally been more footage released on this original title that looks absolutely incredible. This survival game is set in the Pacific Northwest, where the player is driving a car and the gameplay is surreal with the radio announcing that there is an instability front in the weather. There are many alternate dimension-like elements coupled with a lot of standard survival elements with an interwoven mystery plotline that dictates the player find their way to what the developers are calling the Olympic Exclusion Zone. There is no solid release date for this title but the trailer tells that the game will be coming out 2023 for PS5 and PC.
PlayStation Stars & Exclusive Hogwarts Legacy content
This was initially announced in July 2022, where the player gets to login to their PSN accounts and finish a number of campaigns or achievements such as unlocking certain trophies in-game or login a specific number of times. Sony announced exclusive digital collectibles that can be acquired that range from a PlayStation 3, a scene from Ape Escape 2, Toro and Kuro celebrating with a birthday cake, the pocket station and the Polygon Man. These are things that can be unlocked for different reasons which are all things rewarded to players for playing games more.
The exclusive PlayStation Hogwarts Legacy quest is titled the “Haunted Hogsmeade Shop”. It includes access to the shop, the shopkeeper’s cosmetic set and an additional dungeon that can be explored in-game. The shopkeeper is essentially selling the shop and the goal is to investigate why through the events in the game. Hogwarts Legacy is set to release February 10th 2023.
It might be interesting to know the fact that the Good & Bad of Hogwarts Legacy in the magical world
Synduality & Stellar Blade
The premise of Synduality is where a poisonous rain kills off a lot of humanity and sends life forms to find abode underground. The plot reveals that the inhabitants built an entire cyberpunk city with advanced artificial intelligence lifeforms and mecha suits that are going to be used to fight monsters in the real world. The environments and levels look other-worldly as the rain has changed how the world looks making it seem like an alien-looking planet. The protagonist is a drifter who takes off into the surface and collects red crystals which connect to the plot in some way and commands intrigue in the player. This interesting and new looking title is slated for release in 2023.
Previously titled “Project Eve”, Stellar Blade was shown in September 2021 for the first time. It is a stylish game that looks to mix up elements from Bayonetta and Dark Souls where Eve, the wielder of the Stellar Blade is on a mission to save earth. Travelling to the last surviving city, Eve works to rebuild and save the city from siege from a nefarious force. The game has vibrant colors and an interesting take on post-apocalyptic designs that may be a breath of fresh air releasing sometime in 2023.
God of War Ragnarök & Rise of the Ronin
The recent reboot of the God of War franchise is coming to a close with this release and the new story trailer shown here tells the familiar story of resisting fate & making your own destiny. The way the developers have made it so that everything that had been set up with the first game pays off in this sequel and the gameplay looks like the story and the characters alike are going to build up to a massive crescendo towards the end of this game. Sony also announced a limited edition PlayStation 5 controller that is blue on white- with a bear and wolf insignia on the tracking pad available November 9th 2022, on the release day of the game for the PS4 and PS5.
Team Ninja is releasing a brand new action-RPG called Rise of the Ronin. Team Ninja is known for franchises such as Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Hyrule Warriors & Nioh. Rise of the Ronin takes inspiration from Nioh and takes the gameplay into a much more open-world. The game similar to Like a Dragon: Ishin is set in the late 1800s at the end of the Edo period in Japan. The game looks ambitious enough to say that it is probably hoping to be what Elden Ring is to the Dark Souls franchise. The game is to release some time in 2024, but looks like it’s going to be well worth the wait.
