Sony's PlayStation held a rather hype-ridden Showcase today, May 24th, that featured a host of surprises and some long-rumored reveals that have set the gaming world on fire. From Phantom Blade 0 to Haven's newly announced Fairgame$, PlayStation fans have a lot to look forward to as its lineup grows extensive.
The Showcase was kicked off with the brand new entry of Fairgame$, which comes out of Haven, a studio Sony acquired in March of last year. The PlayStation 5 exclusive seems to be a fresh new look at tactical multiplayer action, with Creative Director Mathieu Leduc calling it a "modern-day Robin Hood" heist experience, wherein players must "trespass into forbidden locations around the world" and "fill your pockets like a kid in a candy store." It's set to be a competitive PvP game built upon sandbox gameplay.
PlayStation's next two games seem to almost riff on upcoming Xbox titles. Helldivers 2, which opened with a superbly hilarious ad campaign for players to "join the fight," looks a little like Starfield. It won't, of course, play like it, as it's set to be a top-down shooter akin to its 2015 predecessor.
Immortals of Aveum, however, may well be what PlayStation fans need in the face of Microsoft's Avowed. The EA game, which is built on Unreal Engine and developed by Ascendant Studios, is bound for a July 20th, 2023, release date. It's a first-person "magic" shooter set in a fantasy world that will have players tackling the Everwar in order to save the realms from annihilation. In other words, Avowed for PlayStation enthusiasts.
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One of the most exciting new showcases to come out of PlayStation's broadcast was Phantom Blade 0, a hack-and-slash RPG experience that looks akin to a combination of Sekiro and Ghosts of Tsushima. It features inspiration from Chinese folklore and martial arts, with players taking on the role of a Dark Raider seeking vengeance against a so-called "Order."
Most anticipated of all, and highly speculated upon, comes Metal Gear Solid 3. The PS5 ground-up remake will attempt to bring to life one of gaming's most iconic experiences with a full name change and top-down graphical upgrade. Coined Metal Gear Solid Triangle: Snake Eater, the experience will follow the main PS2 game to the letter. Konami also announced that a full Master Collection would be arriving this fall, bundling Metal Gear: Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and the original Snake Eater into one title.
Yet another surprise that debuted amid PlayStation's Showcase was none other than Remedy's Alan Wake 2. The game has long remained dormant since being first announced nearly a year ago. The game will be, according to creative director Sam Lake, a survival horror that may well include parts of New York City and more. It's bound for an October 17th release date, as per its newest trailer.
Of course, PlayStation had to give a nod to the upcoming mega-hit Final Fantasy 16, which is bound to be among the most anticipated experiences of the year. The gameplay trailer features a ton of action and some surprise visits from characters as players are welcomed into the new Final Fantasy experience. Final Fantasy 16 will drop on June 22nd, 2023, and have players taking on the role of Clive Rosfield as he attempts to "free mankind from its fate."
PlayStation concluded the broadcast with an announcement of a cloud-based PS5 handheld device titled Project Q and a new set of wireless earbuds, which are both bound for release later this year. Project Q seems to take on a similar design style to that of the G Cloud from Logitech. It will be interesting to see how it fares against the Steam Deck and other new handheld offerings.
The final bit from the broadcast debuted an exciting new look into Spider-Man 2, with a cinematic feature of Kraven saying, "The hunt begins." Spider-Man 2 is set to be host to a wide array of Spider-Man villains, including even Venom, which will play a major role in the story as the gameplay of a Spider-Man wielding the black suit proves incredibly enticing. Miles Morales will also be a playable character in the game, equipped with all-new stealth abilities and ways of traversal across Manhattan. It's set to make its debut come Fall 2023.
And that was all of the major announcements from PlayStation's May 24th Showcase! We didn't get to touch on everything, like Assassin's Creed Mirage or many of the exciting new PS VR2 hits announced, but PlayStation fans don't have to worry too much as the upcoming PS5 slate seems quite exciting. Still, nothing about any Bloodborne 2 or Bloodborne remake, and fans awaiting any news about Grand Theft Auto 6 will have to wait a while before anything official makes the rounds.
