It seems like just yesterday we were sifting through every trailer and announcement E3 threw our way. Now we’ve got PlayStation’s State of Play to add to our list of title drops. June/July’s been a busy time for games. Anyway, in case you didn’t tune into the live broadcast yesterday, here’s everything it went through. And before you get your hopes up no, there’s no mention of God of War or Horizon: Forbidden West. Sorry about that. We’ll probably hear more about those titles later on. For now, here’s what we did see:
FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch
FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch is a Metroidvania game wherein you take control of a chiselled anthropomorphic rabbit evading and outgunning some very mean looking robots, with the help of a giant metal fist. Like any good Metroidvania, there will be plenty of rooms to explore, items to grab, and upgrades to discover. Let’s just hope it’s better than the last furry-apocalypse game we played. FIST is slated for a September 7 release on PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Demon Slayer: The Hikonami Chronicles
Demon Slayer, a currently popular anime series, is getting an anime-brawler game courtesy of CyberConnect2, the visual master artists behind Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm, Asura’s Wrath and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. State of Play offered us a look at some more gameplay and story details, and as most folks have been saying from the start it looks a lot like a mix between the Storm series and Kakarot. Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles will release on October 15 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox One series X/S.
Moss: Book 2
You’ll be forgiven if you don’t remember Moss. While it was certainly a fun little VR romp, it wasn’t a massive blockbuster title. Now it’s getting a sequel, wherein you and your mouse bud, Quill, will navigate platforms, solve puzzles, and take on enemies together. Moss: Book 2 does not have a set release date yet.
SIFU
We got another look at SIFU, a flashy kung-fu game whose core mechanic is that you age as you’re defeated, with both 3D action combat and classic beat ’em up mechanics. However, the biggest news here is that it’s been delayed to 2022. Sad.
Arcadegeddon
A brand new IP from a new publisher, Illfonic, Arcadegeddon is set in a neon-spray paint world that mixes equal parts Splatoon and Knock Out City. You and up to 4 friends can jump into a variety of PvP and PvE game modes, like standard shoot-outs and party modes. There’s an early access build that went live yesterday, but the full release will only land sometime in 2022.
Hunter’s Arena: Legends
A 30 player battle-royale, MOBA RPG title, Hunter’s Arena: Legends lands on PlayStation 4 and 5 this month.
Death Stranding: Director’s Cut
Death Stranding is a divisive game. Some people think it’s another masterpiece by Hideo Kojima, others say it’s barely two steps above a walking simulator. Regardless, everyone knows it’s a game that demands a fair handful of hours to complete. Now it’s getting a director’s cut version (because no first release ever has all of Kojima’s ideas in it) with more story content, more combat mechanics, new items, and a race mode. Which, at the very least, is interesting enough. Pre-orders are available now, and it releases on September 24 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC.
Deathloop
Yes, we’ve very clearly left the best for last. But so did PlayStation, so we’re not going to feel bad about it. Deathloop was announced back at E3 2019 (oh face-to-face E3, how we miss you) and has been delayed a couple of times since.
It’s got a really cool concept. You play as Colt, an assassin trapped on a mysterious island stuck in a time loop. In order to stop the loop, Colt needs to kill 8 Visionaries scattered around the island. Here’s the catch: the loop resets after 24 hours. Not only that, but the island’s inhabitants aren’t the friendliest, so the odds aren’t exactly in our hero’s favour here. In a roguelike-esque way, you’ll learn more with each loop, finding better approaches and methods of assassinating your targets. Your enemies learn more with each loop too, so you need to keep your wits about you.
Deathloop is made by Arkane Studios, famous for the fantastic Dishonoured franchise. Which explains why Colt’s gunplay is paired up with some very cool, very supernatural powers. It launches (barring any further delays) on the 14th of September on PlayStation 5 and PC.