Although it would be difficult to match the success of their 2013 conference, Sony aimed to continue pleasing gamers by showcasing how new titles are bigger and better on playstation. With people complaining about the lack of AAA exclusives on Sony’s new console, Sony started strongly with a number of new games and reiterated how they have managed to secure exclusive content in third party games as well as their own first party titles.
The conference, on 9th June (5:30pm PT/ 2:00am BST), had two sections that looked at games coming up in 2014 and 2015 and another part that introduced the new services Sony will offer over the next two months. You can also read our round ups of the EA, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Ubisoft conferences.
Destiny
Bungie’s upcoming first-person shooter Destiny opened the conference, showcasing the stunning landscapes gamers will be able to see when the game is released in September. Sony’s executive Andrew House came on stage to announce that the beta will be on PS4, before any other console, on July 17th. He then went on to introduce a new bundle that included a new, white Playstation 4 console, as well as a copy of Destiny.
Released: 9th September 2014
The Order: 1886
Next, a gameplay trailer for one of Sony’s previously announced exclusives was shown. Feeling very much like a typical third-person survival horror game, it shows a man slowly walking through dark corridors, carrying a lantern, only to come across a frightening creature. The trailer then switches to gameplay as we see the character try to escape or kill the monster.
Released: 20th February 2015
Entwined
Last month a number of trademarks were filed by Sony, suggesting the imminent announcement of some new games. One of these was Entwined, which we now know is an indie title, created by graduates, that tells the story of ‘two souls (a fish and a bird) that are in love but cannot be together’. It is a twin-stick adventure game with stunning visuals and calming music. Also, it is available right now.
Released: Now.
Infamous: First Light
First Light is a piece of standalone DLC for the excellent Infamous: Second Son in which the player will take control of Fletch, a supporting character from the main game. You will not need the original game to play the DLC but there will be advantages for those who do, which are yet to be detailed.
Released: August 2014
LittleBigPlanet 3
Another surprise announcement! Sackboy is back, this time accompanied by friends: Oddsock, Toggle and Swoop. All three of the new characters will be playable, giving a number of different ways of traversing LBP’s typical platforming levels. The four player co-op that was shown onstage looks like excellent fun and fans will be able to play it earlier than expected with release slated for November this year. Also, all user created levels from the last two games will be playable on the new one at release. This definitely helps with the lack of first party exclusives available on the Playstation 4 this year, after the numerous delays.
Released: November 2014
Bloodborne
Next, a new exclusive IP was introduced called Bloodborne. It is a dark, violent game by From Software and explains the footage of Project Beast that was leaked last month. It will come to Playstation in 2015.
Release: 2015
Far Cry 4
Following the first five minutes that were shown during Ubisoft’s conference earlier in the day, Sony showed the sequel to the excellent Far Cry 3 running on the Playstation 4. As well as the typical action and breathtaking setting, the trailer included wing-suits, elephants and personal helicopters. Also, the player can seamlessly drop in and out of 4 player co-op to liberate outposts and complete missions. Somehow, if you own the game you can invite your friends to your game, whether they have it or not and this feature is exclusive to Playstation platforms.
Released: November 18th 2014
Dead Island 2
A funny cinematic trailer introduced the new iteration of the open-world zombie game. Not much was shown and release is penciled in for 2015.
Released: 2015
Battlefield Hardline
Another trailer for EA’s spin-off featured more explosions, more gun-fire, helicopters, police and grappling hooks. Along with this trailer they announced that the beta is available on PC and PS4 now.
Released: 24th October 2014
Next, they announced Magika 2, a remastered version of Grim Fandango for Playstation 4 and Vita, an incredibly violent fighting game from Suda 51 called Let It Die and a game from one of the creators of the fantastic Journey, called Abzu.
No Man’s Sky
Closing the first section of game announcements was the hotly anticipated new game from indie developers Hello Games. No Man’s Sky is a proceduraly generated sci-fi game and the E3 trailer showed dinosaurs, space travel and huge planets. One of the game’s designers insisted that every player’s game will different and it certainly seems it will be a truly unique and memorable experience.
Released: 2015
The middle section of the conference was about services, away from games, that Sony is offering. First off, a native Youtube app will finally be coming to Playstation 4 later in the year. Playstation Now will be in open beta on PS4 from July 31st in the US and Canada, and on PS3, Vita and Sony Bravia TVs later. Also, Playstation TV, that was released at the beginning of 2014 in Japan, is coming to the rest of the world this autumn for $99.
Sony are in pre-production for a new television series called Powers. The show is based on a graphic novel that focuses on two detectives who investigate cases involving super-powered beings. It will be available in December and will be free as part of the PS Plus subscription service. Finally, a remastered version of the original Ratchet and Clank game will be coming to PS4 alongside the film in early 2015.
The second section of gaming announcements quickly follows…
Mortal Combat X
The new game in the long running fighting series in more brutally violent than ever and the new trailer shows gruesome fatalities. Its a more detailed version of what fans have come to expect in Mortal Combat games. A couple of new characters were also introduced in the gameplay trailer.
Released: 2015
The Last of Us: Remastered
A new trailer, filled to the brim with spoilers, shows how incredible the critically acclaimed game looks on Sony’s next-gen console. They have also confirmed the release date as 29th July. For anyone who missed the game when it was released on PS3 this time last year, it is a must play, even if many key plot points have been shown in the two most recent trailers.
Released: 29th July 2014
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Although the trailer leaked the day before Sony’s conference, it looked incredibly impressive. It was not clear what was actually happening, it had everything fans look for in a Metal Gear game. It looks better graphically than most of the other games shown during Sony’s conference.
Released: 2015
Grand Theft Auto 5
The biggest and fastest selling game of last generation is being remastered on next gen consoles and PC later in 2014. Many people expected this to be announced but it was expected to be 2015 before it was released. It is also quite a coup for Sony to have the reveal as part of their conference as Rockstar have sided with Microsoft in recent years. Also, players will be able to import their online saves from Xbox 360 or PS3 to Playstation 4. A new trailer accompanied the announcement.
Released: Winter 2014
Batman: Arkham Knight
Towards the end of the conference, a new gameplay trailer was shown for Rocksteady’s third and final venture into Gotham City. A seamless transition between cutscene and gameplay showed the scale of Gotham City and the power of Sony’s new system. Travelling around the city is much more fluid than previous games and the Batmobile looks like an excellent new addition. Scarecrow’s Nightmare missions will also be exclusive to Sony’s console.
Released: 2015
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Sony concluded their E3 press conference with a trailer for their flagship Playstation title Uncharted 4 and what a way to end! We see Nathan Drake lying in a jungle with a conversation between him and Sully being played in the background, suggesting they need each other for one final mission. The detail on Drake’s face is breathtaking and the reveal of the full title along with the release window of 2015 made it the perfect way for Sony to sign off.
Released: 2015
Coverage or E3 will continue on The Edge throughout the week.
