PlayStation State of Play - August 2020

I’ve made it no secret that I prefer the single burst of bullshot trailers and blasts of press releases over a few days that normally constitutes E3. It is easier that way. Nonetheless, the somewhat elongated E3 seems to have petered off and yet we’re still getting showcases. Yes, the latest State of Play covering PS4, PS5, and PSVR titles in the next 6-months to a year happened yesterday. To cut it short, it was mildly interesting. Doing as those brief presentations do, it added a little blip to the news output and consumption for many people in a way that doesn’t hang in the air as long.

First up was a lengthy showcase of the new Crash Bandicoot game, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Technically, it is the 16th game in the series if you exclude the remakes and remasters. Once again, much like the remake of 1-3, It’s About Time is being developed by Toy for Bob, who also did the Spyro remake trilogy. This time you are no longer alone in your adventures. You’ll be able to play as Coco through a majority of the game, with what seems like select levels where you’ll play as Neo Cortex and Dingodile. There was also a promise of the cosmetic outfits staying fully cosmetic with no microtransactions.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will release on October 2nd, 2020 for PS4 and Xbox One. It will be the first wholly new game in the main franchise to release on both PlayStation and Xbox simultaneously, at least the ones we’re meant to acknowledge.

Hitman 3, the eighth game in the series, is also coming to the PS4 and 5 early next year, along with a release on other systems. However, what we got to see is an “innovation” that seems rather unnecessary. You can now get garroted by the PSVR cables while trying to choke out a man. VR is a place of action rather than carefully planning the perfect assassination, at least not in the Hitman style. The point of Hitman is to get in, kill your target, never get spotted, and get out, all without “save scumming.” PSVR (and others most likely) is where you will slightly move your arm, throw a knife and stab a pensioner that’s holding poison. In turn, she’ll spill it in the coffee, and you’ve killed everyone.

Hitman 3 is set for release in January 2021 on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, the Xbox One and Series X, and Stadia if it Google doesn’t kill it by then.

The popularity of the 2008 game Braid is a mystery to me, as it is every side-scrolling platformer with a bit of time-bending. Nonetheless, 12-years on the game is in headlines once again, as Braid Anniversary Edition is set for release sometime next year. Bringing the game you either love or didn’t play into the much larger resolution of modern games, it has a slightly altered art style, a better sound engine to improve audio, new animations, and developer commentary. “We plan to make it the most detailed commentary in any game ever,” was an odd comment in the trailer, what about that sells the game to anyone?

There is no date set for Braid Anniversary Edition, but is set to arrive on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC in the first quarter of 2021. Though developer Jonathan Blow did provide a lengthy comment on the commentary, stating he wanted to go much more in-depth with game commentary. “If you want a high-level short explanation, you can get that. If you want a 20-minute-long explanation of why a particular puzzle is the way it is, you can get that too,” Blow explained. It seemed strangely pretentious when that’s the point of convention panels and press interviews.

Next up was The Pathless, a game revealed back in 2018 as a PS4 release from the developer of ABZÛ. The Pathless is an open-world game where you will explore and unveil the dark story of the world surrounding you and your eagle friend. Think Breath of the Wild but somehow more focused by the looks of it. It also seems to contain a dedicated system for cleaning your eagle and thus being more friendly with the bird that will follow you throughout the game. Throughout the game, you’ll stealth your way past and ultimately battle giant mythical monsters that will try to break your bond with the eagle.

The Pathless will release on the PlayStation 4 and 5, PC via the Epic Games Store, and on Apple Arcade. There is no date set, though it is targeting a late release of “Holiday 2020.”

Following that was a short update on Spelunky 2, the sequel to the wildly popular rogue-like indie adventure. Along with the update came a release date for the PS4 version. The sequel will be bringing a little more to the online multiplayer, and the update showcased the updates to the art style, and further rogue-like updates to the gameplay. Yes, once again, you’ll be setting fire to something, be shot by an arrow, attack a shop keeper and be shot in the face for your troubles.

Spelunky 2 is set for release on September 15th, as far as we know only for PS4 at this time.

Genshin Impact was an odd one, getting a moment to show itself off. However, it never really explained itself well enough on its own. It seems to be an open-world action RPG with a heavy anime art style, meaning everyone is either androgynous of hyper-feminine. It is another case of Breath of the Wild syndrome, but I’m oddly interested even though the developer miHoYo recently noted its focus on online co-op. Mixing story, combat, open-world adventure, and puzzles into one anime-based game is an interesting choice.

Genshin Impact will release on PS4 this Autumn, though it has been announced there will be a Nintendo Switch release along with PC, Xbox One, and mobile devices.

Next up was the reveal of Aeon Must Die. It was true to its name too, as the former development team including the founder of Limestone Games and its creative team resigned in June, to (as they claim) be fired before their 30-day notice was up. It seems to be a beat-em-up RPG based around tactical fighting in a rather beautiful sci-fi world. It also seems to have an art style of 80s anime and cartoons with a modern sheen. The game is (currently) set for release at some point in 2021 for PS4 by Limestone Games and Focus Home Interactive.

Soon after the reveal, the team that had previously worked on the game claimed to have done so under duress. There are claims of abuse, harassment, crunch, corruption, and manipulation by management. The team also claim they went to the publisher, Focus Home Interactive, wanting to finish the game with better working conditions. The team claims that it took a month before the publisher acknowledged their remarks with a short email blast and a shrug of the shoulders. We will cover the documents provided to the press sometime next week. Aeon Must Die is set for release on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC at some point next year.

ANNO: Mutationem is a cyberpunk mix of 2D character pixel-art and 3D environments with action RPG elements. Developed by ThinkingStars, developer of space shooter D.E.E.P.: Battle of Jove, and published by Lightning Games, ANNO: Mutationem is set for release this December on PS4 and PC.

Bugsnax was up next and it once again made me want to play it while also confusing me as to what it really is meant to be. Showing off PS5 gameplay this time, you will be playing as a journalist attempting to get the bottom of this mystery of bugsnax across an alien paradise. It was all nice and lovely, full of childish charm, then it took a turn of the 2020s and went dark and grim. Bugsnax will release on the PlayStation 4 and 5, as well as PC. We were given a general release window of “Holiday 2020.” I’ll be humming the somewhat catchy theme until then.

Back to VR for a moment, Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series is a collection of ILMxLAB’s series of Vader Immortal games released last year. It is an episodic VR lightsaber battling game where you work through the story on route to battle Darth Vader. Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series will release exclusively for PSVR on August 25th, letting players flail your arms about with a pound of plastic on your face.

Easily Alexx’s game of the year last year, Control brought all the power of blasting desks into millions of little bits in a near-future FBI building. It is both supernatural and story-driven, and some have been enjoying it quite a bit. However, I’m sure quite a few have had trouble remembering what it is. As happened with the first expansion, The Foundation, I spent a minute attempting to remember what the game was. The second expansion has finally been revealed, AWE (Alternate World Events), which is set to tie both Remedy’s previous game, Alan Wake, to Control.

Control: AWE will release on the one year anniversary of the game’s release, August 27th.

I’ve never understood the point of an “Auto battler” is. Spawned from the game Dota 2 comes Auto Chess, a game where you buy who fights on your side and proceed to watch them go against other players. What confuses me is where the gameplay comes from, as you just watch the action unfold in front of you slowly. I know it is slow because the trailer for the standalone version of Auto Chess bored the tears out of me. Only over a minute long, the only thing keeping me awake was the poor editing of the trailer.

Auto Chess is coming to the PS4 on October 31st, possibly with sound effects, unlike that awful trailer.

Next up was possibly the most interesting thing of the entire showcase, The Pedestrian. A puzzle game where you help a hand-drawn cartoon of the icon for those with a gentleman’s sausage and those with a lady ham sandwich from bathroom doors cross from paper to paper. Sometimes it is as simple as connecting up doorways, sometimes you are moving entire room sections on paper, cardboard, signs, or whatever rooms are drawn onto. It is a charming and interesting little idea done artistically, I like it.

The Pedestrian will release on the PlayStation 4 and 5 in January 2021. It first released on January 29th, 2020 for PC.

Now we go from something I can get behind and snort like sugar, to something I won’t touch with a ten-foot barge pole. Hood: Outlaws & Legends is an action RPG PvPvE game set in a medieval world with elements of magic and high gothic environments. Not featuring actual gameplay, there is very little to go on other than the classes shown and the hint at PVP battles.

Hood: Outlaws & Legends is set for a 2021 release on the PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X, and PC.

MMO Pokémon-like turn-based creature-battler Temtem will be releasing on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch. This comes following the team dropping support for the planned PS4 and Xbox One releases, as announced yesterday in a Kickstarter update. Temtem is currently available on Steam in early access, and will release on the Switch and next-generation consoles in 2021.

The final game in the showcase made me want to end it all. What is the point in a showcase if you’re going to cap it off with Godfall. Might as well end it with an eight-hour-long video of paint drying under the sea. Though, much like the game that opened the showcase, it had to be noted there will be no microtransactions in Godfall for all the loot in this looter-stabber. Once again showing off the game of overly designed characters and environments, it repeated most of the overview in previous showcases.

It only provided a little further detail on simple weapons and a touch of combat. It was hardly something to end on, which could be said of a large portion of this State of Play. Godfall will release on the PlayStation 5 and PC later this year.

I said it at the end of the Xbox Games Showcase the other week, we’re three months from what would be the latest possible release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, going by previous console releases. We still have no price nor release date set for either console. As I said at the end of that previous showcase, this was about the time Sony would have pushed out that announcement if this was a normal year. Nonetheless, both manufacturers are playing a game of Chicken, waiting as long as possible waiting to see who shows their hand first. Microsoft played the confident move with their design reveal during the Game Awards last year, while Sony waited June.