It felt like a stretch play conditionAnd if you’ve been following the platform’s much-criticised BTEC Nintendo Directs, you’ll know that this isn’t a compliment. There’s no doubt the manufacturer shelled out some cash on this one: the foreboding techno music during the countdown and letterbox transitions, showing blinking strobe lights and PlayStation icons projected onto the curtains, was cool. It’s a shame they were, in fact, highLights!
We are of course funny, and there is no ad event at all that Bad, but this was more of the same from Sony who seem intent on telling more than they show. From the PS Studios content on offer, we got a couple of CGI cinematics from the Haven and Firewalk acquisitions, neither of which looked particularly appealing – or gave us any idea of what to expect. Former studio founder Jade Raymond spoke about the innovation from her team’s headline. Results? A co-op heist shooter, it seems.
It would be unfair to dismantle completely Everything Shown by Sony tonight, because there He was exciting games. Once again, the platformer relied heavily on Capcom to carry the load, with Dragon’s Dogma 2 revealing a real surprise – and Resident Evil 4 seems to be getting the full PSVR2 The Cure, like Resident Evil Village earlier in the year. Konami revealed Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater lacked Hideo Kojima’s clever touch, but it will still be one to look forward to.
However, despite all the names we’ve just mentioned, this amazing trailer playlist lacks the kind of excitement we’d expect from a proper, full-bodied PlayStation show – especially one that’s close to two years in the making. If the intention was to show the future of the PS5, it completely collapsed at the first hurdle: we honestly don’t feel like we know any more About the stage owner’s projects or our progress before the show.
Even the big announcements, the real boom moments, came with cloaks and daggers. Project Q, a previously rumored handheld remote control accessory, is actually real — but it doesn’t have a name or release date yet, and it hasn’t even received a PS blog post at the time of writing. President Jim Ryan promised that “more information is coming soon.” When, though, Jim? It’s fair to say that your company will not be quite forthcoming at the best of times.
Perhaps the icing on the cake, as fans around the world anxiously eye the clock as we near the hour mark with the PS Studios logo barely spoken of, was when the manufacturer used the PS Showcase’s large audience to promote its upcoming Gran Turismo movie. Adaptation. Look, we get that the movie is a big deal for everyone under the Sony umbrella, but we’re hoping it has the desired effect, because in this guide there won’t be too many eyeballs at the next presentation.
Of course, it’s not all bleak, and as we tweeted before the event: No single presentation will determine the future of the PS5. Based on this show alone, there is He is Lots to look forward to, from developers both big and small – you’ll likely find them on any number of consoles or other devices you own. Is this important? Maybe not in the grand scheme of things, but for the PlayStation offering, there was a surprising lack of Play Station Shown today.
What do you think of the PlayStation show? Did he live up to your expectations or seriously let you down? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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