Player2 Vs PlayStation State Of Play February 2024
After months of conjecture, the first PlayStation State Of Play showcase for 2024 is now upon us. With the slate of first-party games largely unannounced going into this showcase, hopes are high that PlayStation is going to bring out some of its biggest hitters along with some third party gems as well. Player 2 editors Matt Hewson and Paul James tuned in to check out the showcase and bring you their thoughts in this new versus piece!
Helldivers II
Matt: I’ve said it before, but I am not sure the shift to the 3rd person was the best move for Helldivers. That isn’t to say the game is going to be bad, far from it, but the 4 player co-op shooter has been pretty well mined at this point and so many of them failed to find an audience. I hope I am wrong because I like what I see, but I fear it will be a game easily lost among the multitudes.
Paul: I’m really keen for this one. Helldivers is a game I adored when it launched nearly 9 years ago, but the changes that have been made to this sequel have me feeling even more confident that Helldivers could be an IP ready to break out in a big way. Of course the release date, paired with the paid model as opposed to Foamstars which now launches prior and is free on PlayStation Plus is a pause for concern when it comes to finding an audience, but Arrowhead has my interest locked in.
Stellar Blade
Matt: I am not sure about this one. It looks to sit somewhere between a Souls game and Devil May Cry in terms of gameplay and what I saw just felt chock full of cliches. I mean a city called Zion? Sure I get the biblical reference but Neo called and wants his hometown back. All that said, I can look past that (and the bad English dub) if the moment-to-moment gameplay is tight. The only way to be sure of that is hands-on time.
Paul: I meant you’re on the money about the cliches Matt, but I’m happy for something to be a bit derivative as long as the moment-to-moment is good, and combining this newest showcase with what we’ve seen previously, I’m pretty confident that Stellar Blade is going to be a stellar title. The fairly imminent release date in April has me pretty excited for this DMC/Bayonetta-inspired title. Really keen for more.
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Matt: Yes, Sonic Generations is probably the Sonic game I have enjoyed the most from Team Sonic since the Mega Drive days (Sonic Mania, wasn’t Team Sonic) but that isn’t exactly a high bar. I am not sure we need this re-release, even with the Emo Sonic, I mean Shadow inclusion.
Paul: While I do concede that there have been some great Sonic games (like Generations) in recent-ish years, I have zero interest in Sonic at this point. Consider me burned too many times to come close to the fire again. If the stars align then maybe I’ll play this one because I already know it to be good, but the Shadow inclusion does make me worry that the remaster will be lacking in QOL improvements.
Zenless Zone Zero
Matt: Gacha junk. No thanks.
Paul: I think this was just a reminder for me that Hoyoverse games simply are not for me. The tone simply doesn’t vibe with me on this one and so it made for a pretty easy pass. So much so that I forgot to add it to our list of games to discuss initially!
Foamstars
Matt: *Puts grumpy old man face on* Boy does this look like a whole bunch of colour vomit on the screen. It is absolutely eye breaking. The whole presentation aspect seems obnoxious and annoying. Seriously someone find me my slippers and the paper… damn kids with their colourful games.
Paul: I’m more interested in Foamstars because there was some positive buzz after some hands-on opportunities that people had last year to go hands-on than based on what I saw in this showcase. Like you said Matt, it’s all just a giant explosion of colour on the screen, and not in a way that’s enjoyable for me. That all said, it’s free on PS+, so I’ll check it out, even if it’s just briefly.
Dave The Diver
Matt: Great game, good news it is coming to more platforms. Not much else needs to be said really.
Paul: Echo the sentiment, a lot of positive press has been heaped on Dave The Diver, but I held off awaiting this moment. Glad the reveal has occurred, and glad I’ll be playing it soon… but of course we got something dumb like Godzilla DLC.
V Rising
Matt: I played a bit of this on PC and it is a solid experience. A mix between Don’t Starve and Diablo, V Rising is pretty unique. I can see this becoming a bit of a cult hit on consoles because it is the type of experience that suits relaxing on the couch.
Paul: I’m really interested in what was shown here. I think I’d heard the name of the game but knew nothing more. Now I’m right into it. Can’t wait to see more when it drops later this year.
Silent Hill: The Short Message
Matt: I can see the devs are going for that PT factor by releasing a short, free experience to generate hype for the Silent Hill 2 Remake and get people talking. I have no skin in the Silent Hill game so I am more of an interested onlooker here, but it certainly looks to have ample creep to freak folks out.
Paul: Yeah this looks and feels very PT-like and I dunno if I like and respect that, or if I want to run in terror as a result. I’ve never been a Silent Hill person, but at the handy price of $0, I definitely intend to stomach up and give it a go.
Silent Hill 2 Remake
Matt: Like I said, I don’t have a history with the franchise so I thought that this would be the point I jumped in but something about this trailer feels off. I am not sure I can put my finger on it, but there is something that is worrying me about the movement and vibe. It could just be my imagination but honestly, Silent Hill is competing against the RE remakes so it is going to have to nail everything and I am not sure it is doing that just yet.
Paul: As previously discussed, not a Silent Hill guy, but I wasn’t a Resident Evil person until recent years either, so who knows right? This could be the opportunity that I need to dive into this franchise properly. We’ll see how we go
Judas
Matt: Probably the game of the show for me. I am very excited to see where this goes. There is a serious lack of story-focused FPS titles at the moment and Ken Levine has been nailing that very thing for a very long time. There is no doubt about Judas’ Bioshock heritage, but hopefully, it avoids some of the pitfalls that haven’t aged well in that particular franchise. Very excited to see more.
Paul: Leaks spoiled the presence of this one, but I was so keen to see Judas and so excited that it delivered. It seems to be trying to straddle a line between the action/narrative blend of Bioshock and Infinite, and I’m really hoping it strikes the sweet spot. The trailer did, but that can be cut up in any which way, what I’d love to see next is, a bit like what we got with Bioshock Infinite back in the day, a big 15-20 minute vertical slice to really sell me on what this franchise can be
Metro Awakening
Matt: Can we not do this? I mean, come on. Metro, the franchise, is amazing. Dark, depressing and disturbingly real it oozes atmosphere and humanity. They are some of my favourite FPS titles of all time. But in VR? No, thank you. There are two problems I foresee. The first is, that it will be exceedingly difficult to capture all the things that make Metro great in the VR perspective. There are just too many systems essential to what that franchise is. The second is, that should they absolutely nail everything and make the perfect Metro game, it will be horrifying in VR, like pants-wetting scary. The final nail in the coffin is the need to buy the very expensive and a little undersupported PSVR2 and this long-time franchise fan is a little miffed.
Paul: I’m alright with this. I get why Matt isn’t because it’s a prod towards a platform he doesn’t own, but as a PSVR2 owner who is longing to see serious IP coming to it, I’m stoked. I want to see more of games such as this and I’m hopeful that Metro Awakening is just the tip of the spear. The game look pretty cool, and I’m hoping that it can become a gem.
Matt, rest easy, it’s coming to Meta Quest 2/3 and Steam VR as well
Legendary Tales
Matt: This looks more like something that is suited to VR. People waving arms about wildly with friends I can get behind. I just hope it comes to the Meta Quest, because I can’t justify the PSVR2 price point yet.
Paul: Not as sure about this. Contrary to Matt’s thoughts, I’m really looking for those serious experiences in VR, not the loose and stupid ones. That’s not to say I won’t enjoy Legendary Tales, but it does mean I’m not overly excited about it either.
Dragon’s Dogma II
Matt: Ok, I am at that point now with Dragon’s Dogma II, the point where I am over the promotion and the game needs to come out so I can make my own mind up. It is the sort of game that is a hard sell through trailers and I think that the sooner players get their hands on it, the better. I am hoping it is a banger, I just am over the promo.
Paul: I bounced off the original pretty hard, but I’m just hoping that was just a case of good game, bad timing for me… because Dragon’s Dogma II is looking pretty sweet! Also as someone who has been buying all that Capcom has been selling lately, I’m sensing that will continue here.
Rise Of The Ronin
Matt: I think this looks fantastic and if I were to get into a Soulslike title, it would probably be this one. But as I get older, I have realised that I am perhaps never going to be up for an experience like this one so unless it has an easier difficulty option, I am probably going to let this one sail by in the night.
Paul: Soulslike. Sorry, I just can’t. For as superb as Rise Of The Ronin looks, I’m simply not going to want to fight back against a game that’s goal is to push back against me so aggressively. Stoked for those who are keen
Until Dawn Remastered
Matt: Another remaster we don’t need. I am finding it hard to be excited for the constant recycling that seems to be going on these days.
Paul: As soon as the rumblings of an Until Dawn film adaptation emerged, it was obvious that a remaster was on the way, and surprise surprise, here it is. I liked Until Dawn back in 2015, but I dunno that I’m in any hurry to check it out again.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Matt: What did I just watch? What is happening? Talking Puppets and bad KISS impersonators? It must be a Kojima game. Death Stranding 2 looks bonkers and nothing I can say can make sense of it. You already know if this is for you, you don’t need me to go on about it.
Paul: I missed out on Death Stranding when it first launched, and again when the Director’s Cut hit as well. It’s on my 2024 must play list, and so the 2025 launch year for Death Stranding 2, while surprising to me, is something that I’m really grateful for. Death Stranding 2 continues to look insane, but in a way that intrigues, and doesn’t push me away. Keen to check out the original.
New Kojima Productions Action Espionage Game
Matt: I am keen, I was late to the Metal Gear party but fell in love with 5 so I want to get in on the ground floor on this one. Likely years away yet though.
Paul: Metal Gear Solid was one of those IP that, since I’d missed it initially and fallen well behind on all of the franchise’s goings on. The idea that the genius behind the Metal Gear Solid universe is going to return to action espionage
Final Thoughts
Matt: A few things I am looking forward to like Judas and Helldivers, a couple of things that could be interesting like Ronin and Dragons Dogma 2 and one thing that offends my very existence in Metro VR. It is a bit of a mixed bag for me I must say. I feel like, so far at least, this is probably one of the weaker lineups Sony has had in a while and that they will be relying on their third-party partners pretty heavily in 2024. Nothing wrong with that mind you, but when you have had banger after banger from the Playstation brand, it is hard not to expect that consistency and quality to continue in everything they do. I think, in general, 2024 is going to be an interesting year in gaming, not an amazing one and this showcase only reinforced that feeling.
Paul: This was a jarring showcase for me. On one hand, it was an excellent showcase of some amazing games that are coming to both PS5 and PSVR2, with some games that seem bound for GOTY conversations in their respective years of release. On the other hand, there’s the complete absence of PlayStation first-party studios. There are two first-party announced games, Concord and FairGame$, both live-service games, and not at all what fans of PlayStation expect from their first-party studios. The big studios have been silent for quite some time, and despite everything we’ve sadly learned from the Insomniac hack, there’s a crazy amount of mystery – which isn’t exciting at all, it’s becoming infuriating. PlayStation, please, say something.
