All the PlayStation State of Play Announcements

We're covering the PlayStation State of Play live here


Published: February 25, 2021 5:09 PM /

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State of Play

Sony's State of Play began at 5PM Eastern, and crashed right into things as Crash Bandicoot 4 was the first game to be covered. They announced that Crash Bandicoot 4 is getting a PS5 Update. 4K Textures, 60 FPS, 3D Audio, and adaptive trigger support are all advertised. The trailer showed off the silky-smooth gameplay and improved visuals.

Next, we finally got gameplay of the sci-fi action game, Returnal. Combat appears fast-paced and hectic with hellish alien designs. The game will also include Roguelike element as every time you die, enemy placement and map configurations will change. The trailer went on to show off the narrative, which appears to a dark sci-fi narrative experience about an astronaut lost on a distant planet. It has an April 30th release date.

Following up Housemarque was the recently announced Knockout City, and we got more details on the flashy competitive dodgeball game. Velan Studios' showcase was quick and flashy, showing off how their game relies more on placement and reverse psychology. There's a move shown off called the Fake Throw which is exactly what it sounds like, for instance. Knockout City's showcase continues to show off modes like the 1v1 Face-Off and the 3v3 Team KO mode, as well as new features and items included since their last online beta. These features include the new Back Alley Brawl Map, a sniper ball upgrade, and customization options for Face-Off mode.

In an official press release, Velan Studios continued to mention that there would be customizable options for you and your online crew, a deep progression system with perks, and different ball types. If this sounds interesting, there will be an official online beta for the game open to all players on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Origin, and Nintendo Switch from April 2 to 4. Knockout City is slated for a May 21st release date. 

Sifu Announced for PlayStation 5

The first of the new game announcements for the day was by the studio Slocap. Sifu is a martial arts action game that appears to focus on intense, hand-to-hand combat, and invokes the look and feel of Kung-Fu action movies. Sifu tells the story of a young Kung Fu student who has spent their life training for a day of reckoning after the brutal murder of their entire family by a mysterious assassination squad. Hunt down the murderers one by one as you explore gang-ridden suburbs, hidden corners deep within the city, all the way to the cold hallways of corporate towers. Given that Sloclap's last big title was the martial arts RPG, Absolver, which highlighted their talent for punchy (no pun intended) kung-fu gameplay, it is only natural that they would lean in further and refine their craft. Sifu will release later this year on PlayStation 5.

Next, new details were shared on the sci-fi game Solar Ash. Developed by the indie studio Heart Machine, the game focuses on fluid movement and gorgeous visuals. The studio’s prior work include acclaimed indie hit, Hyper Light Drifter, and that same high-speed combat and vaporwave color palette appears to be more refined for 3D space here. The trailer continued to show off Solar Ash’s scale, including beautiful locations to explore and giant monsters to stop. The game’s release date is a vague 2021.

Five Nights at Freddy's Security Breach First Gameplay

The presentation continued with a trailer for another installment in the prolific Five Nights at Freddy’s series. For the first time in the franchise, it appears this new title will be a first-person horror adventure with stealth elements and chase sequences. Aside from this brief trailer, not many official details are known. Five Nights at Freddy’s Security Breach is slated for release in 2021.

Oddworld Soulstorm Release Date and PS Plus Game 

Oddworld Inhabitants pulls back the curtain for more details on Oddworld: Soulstorm. The studio shows off new gameplay featuring protagonist Abe running around and saving his people. The showcase included refinement of the 2.95D platforming gameplay, and the implementation of the DualSense controller for various features like feeling Abe’s heartbeat as it is heightened or calmed down. Oddworld Soulstorm release date is set for April 6th at least on PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 5 subscribers to PlayStation Plus will get Oddworld: Soulstorm as part of the monthly package of games on release.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits release date announced

We finally get more details on Kena: Bridge of Spirits. A new trailer showed off the world and story of the game, as well as some 3rd-person action. The game appears to be set in an East Asian Fantasy world with cute creatures and mystical crystals. You play as Kena, a young Spirit Guide on a quest to uncover the mysterious story surrounding the demise of the village. The trailer shows off some impressive third-person action with Kena shooting energy blasts and conjuring shields to protect herself. Kena can also find and grow a team of charming spirit companions called the Rot, enhancing her abilities and creating new ways to manipulate the environment. It's a strong first impression by developer Ember Labs and here's hoping we get more details down the road. Kena: Bridge of Spirits will be out for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 on August 21, 2021.

Next up was Arkane Studios who took the stage next to show off more details on their mind-bending time travel action game, Deathloop. The trailer was a showcase of Arkane’s signature environmental design and systemic game design, all wrapped up in a 1970s grindhouse artstyle. The hero even appeared to have a teleport move not unlike the Dishonored series’ Blink. Aside from the spectacle of psychedelic visuals and a garish color scheme, not much else was shown off regarding the narrative or the characters, or an official release date.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake PlayStation 5 Update and Intergrade DLC

Closing the show was the announcement of Final Fantasy VII Remake officially getting a PS5 Update. The update includes many of the next-gen update staples players can expect. Enhanced textures (so they no longer appear a decade out of date), lighting and fog effects, 4K resolution support and 60 FPS gameplay, shortened loading times, are all present. The update will also include several quality of life improvements such as different performance modes, a photo mode, and new difficulty levels. Square Enix then continued with the announcement of new content: an expansion where you play as the energetic ninja, Yuffie. The trailer continued to show off her gameplay including high flying acrobatics and her giant ninja star. This new expansion is called Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and it will be available worldwide June 10 2021 only on PlayStation 5.

For those wondering as well, this will be a free console upgrade, thus if you own the PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake you won't have to play anything to get the base update. However, the new Intergrade expansion will cost money.
 

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Ever since he was small, Tyler Chancey has had a deep, abiding love for video games and a tendency to think and overanalyze everything he enjoyed. This… More about Tyler