Sony just held the first State of Play presentation of 2024, and it was a strong showcase of very exciting PS5 games. The 40-minute long event included extended looks at upcoming titles including Helldivers 2, Stellar Blade and Rise of the Rōnin.
Alongside fresh glimpses of games set to release over the next couple of months, there was also a handful of new announcements and a few trailers for titles that are a little further away from launching. The PSVR 2 even got some love at long last.
If you want to watch the entire State of Play, there’s an on-demand version embedded below, but if you’re pressed for time and just want to check out the main highlights, here’s a list of the 5 biggest announcements from the latest State of Play.
Sonic x Shadow Generations
Released in 2011 during the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation, Sonic Generations is one of the finest-ever games to feature Sega’s blue mascot. It perfectly married 3D stages with more traditional 2D courses, and has remained a fan-favorite for more than a decade. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the reveal of a remastered version for current consoles has been met with delight from the passionate Sonic fanbase. Plus, this refreshed version isn’t just a simple port, it will include new content in the form of a Shadow the Hedgehog campaign. There’s no firm release date, but Sonic x Shadow Generation is set to launch in fall 2024.
Judas
Announced at the Game Awards in 2022, Judas is a new first-person shooter from Ken Levine, the visionary director behind BioShock and BioShock Infinite, and it looks like…well it looks like BioShock in space, to be honest. Of course, mimicking the gameplay loop and visual design of one of the most memorable video games in history is no bad thing, and Judas looks to combine highly detailed environments with zippy gameplay. Plus, the trailer hints at a dark and twisting narrative, and Levine has already proved himself very capable of crafting a video game story that stays with players long after rolling credits. The new trailer at State of Play didn’t include any release details, so don’t expect Judas to launch imminently.
Metro Awakening VR
The PSVR 2 has been a little neglected in recent months. Yes, the excellent Resident Evil 4 remake got a free VR mode, but there’s been a real lack of major new games on the virtual reality platform across its first year. Fortunately, that looks set to change in 2024, the State of Play featured a couple of PSVR 2 titles, but the big news was Metro Awakening VR. Set in the same universe as the excellent Metro 2033 and its two sequels, this looks like a highly immersive VR shooter that will put players directly into the desolate and atmospheric Metro universe. This one is set to release sometime in 2024, but it’s not a PSVR 2 exclusive, it’ll land on Meta Quest as well.
Until Dawn Remastered
The announcement of Until Dawn Remastered probably would have been the biggest surprise of the State of Play had it not leaked a few hours beforehand. Nevertheless, this enhanced version of the 2015 interactive horror experience is welcome news. The game’s visuals have been overhauled, and developer Ballistic Moon has confirmed it will offer a new third-person camera mode (the original used fixed camera angles). Plus, the PlayStation Blog announced it will “expand upon unexplored emotional parts of the story” so we’re expecting a few new sequences. The timing of this remaster might seem a little odd but it makes sense when you remember Sony Pictures just announced an Until Dawn movie is in the works.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
The State of Play came to a close with a look at Hideo Kojima’s upcoming sequel to his extremely divisive 2019 action/walking game, Death Stranding. Now officially called Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, this sequel will see Norman Reedus return as post-apocalyptic mailman Sam Porter Bridges, and this time he’s squaring off against a Joker-looking villain (voiced by Troy Baker) who wields an electrified guitar as a weapon. Based on the lengthy preview, Death Stranding 2 looks even more absurd than its predecessor, which is quite some achievement. It’s slated to launch in 2025. Kojima also confirmed he’s working on a new “action espionage” game with support from PlayStation, but we suspect that’ll end up launching on the PS6.
